From The New Yorker, Eric Alterman on the death and life of the American newspaper; and what does the Dalai Lama actually stand for? From Metapsychology, a review of The World of Perversion: Psychoanalysis and the Impossible Absolute of Desire by James Penney, a review of When Sex Goes to School: Warring Views on Sex—and Sex Education—Since the Sixties by Kristin Luker; and a review of Pornography: Film and Culture. The Saga of Pokey.org: As a 12-year old, Chris Van Allen out-battled the Prema Toy Company (the makers of Gumby) for rights to the domain; ten years later, he's trying to get his site back once again. A review of The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel (and here's the review in the latest issue of Bookforum). Sin Cities: Here's the Radar guide to global contraband; and Scientology is under attack from a faceless cabal of online activists —has America's most controversial religion finally met its match? (and more from LA Weekly) More on Gaming The Vote by William Poundstone. A review of Who's Afraid of Deleuze and Guattari? by Gregg Lambert. James Kirchick on gay porn's neocon kingpin. Matthew Continetti reviews Heroic Conservatism by Michael Gerson. A review of Locke: A Biography by Roger Woolhouse. The (Real) Sound of Silence: Science shows what we all instinctively know — pauses in music speak loudly to the brain.

From Mute, the problem with critiques of curatorship is that they usually end up reinforcing the central importance of the curator; and Migration / Data / Work: What are the risks and advantages of visibility? What do (political and artistic) representation and rights have to offer the illegal and "invisible"? A review of Herbert Spencer and the Invention of Modern Life by Mark Francis. A review of A Game as Old as Empire: The Secret World of Economic Hit Men and the Web of Global Corruption. For all the money made on K Street, lobbyists and lobbying firms are feeling a bit besieged by Congress' recenty crackdowns on industry practices. Would we be smarter voters if we did it twice? Michael Walzer wants to know. A review of A. L. Kennedy's Day. A review of When Ways of Life Collide: Multiculturalism and Its Discontents in the Netherlands. No offense, but you don't deserve your salary. From Ovi, here's an alternative to a dehumanized civilization. How can we change not only our nation's climate policy but our environmental behaviors, too? It might involve primates and shopping. William J. Baumol, Robert E. Litan and Carl Schramm on good capitalism, bad capitalism, and Robert Skidelsky on the moral vulnerability of markets. Has science found a way to end all wars? Given adequate food, fuel, and gender equality, mass conflict just might disappear.

From Boston Review, Michael Gecan on how urban decline moves to the suburbs. In a special symposium, Democracy offers the big ideas for the coming debate over the new progressive agenda. They're plastic, inflatable, and if you cross your eyes enough, they sort of look like Christina Aguilera —meet Hollywood's synthetic doppelgangers. From The Age, self-described "radical boomer" Clive Hamilton believes being provocative is the best way to make change. We aren’t “foodies,” we just look like them — and with a little experience, we’ve learned to act like them. A review of Becoming Visionary: Brian De Palma's Cinematic Education of the Senses by Eyal Peretz. Who killed the "Living Constitution"? Michael Dorf investigates. An interview with Gina Khan on Muslim women vs. Islamism. A review of Yoko Ogawa’s The Diving Pool: Three Novellas. From Dissent, is Obama tough enough? Nicolaus Mills investigates; and is The Wire too cynical? Why tax havens are a blessing: Smugly confident about the righteousness of their cause, European countries and international bureaucrats are pushing for a crackdown against tax havens, but their crusade will do more harm than good. From Robespierre to al-Qa’eda, categorical extermination: An intellectual is someone who thinks ideas matter more than people. Why does it make us sad to remember what we were like as children?