From Books & ideas, in the human and social sciences, the pervasiveness of the notion of disaster is an indication that a true paradigm is developing, which seeks to replace the paradigm of risk on which the modern project was constructed; and the more disasters there are, the less we seem able to learn from them — our faith in progress and our concern for economic efficiency make it clear that, contrary to postmodernist claims, we have not escaped from the illusions of modernity. As former vice president Dick Cheney releases his memoir, it's useful to recall the many reasons why the vast majority of Americans disapproved of his tenure. So close, and yet so far away: Jesse Bering on the contorted history of autofellatio. Can people learn to forego the temptations, the heroin-like rewards of being able to reform the world to your own advantage in order to instead make something sustainable? Jaron Lanier on the Local-global Flip. The North Dakota Paradox: The relationship between Mr. Obama’s approval ratings and the economic performance of each state has been either neutral or somewhat inversely correlated. The non-scenic route to the place we’re going anyway: John Lanchester on the global economy. The key to productivity is working less: Breaks, vacations, and slacking off get more done than overtime does by keeping people alert and focused. A review of Agriculture in World History by Mark B. Tauger. Giants on Earth: Do the descendants of Gigantopithecus still walk among us? A review of College Sex: Philosophers With Benefits. Permanent Palin: The most polarizing figure in American politics is never going away. Why good advertising works (even when you think it doesn't): From Best Buy to Old Spice, these 11 great spots show why Madison Avenue is still a $70 billion business.
