From Guernica, An interview with Bernard-Henri Levy; and what can a California geographer possibly teach us about the American troop surge and ethnic cleansing in Iraq? Three trends bode ill for our future: the increase in weather disasters, the black market in organs and the growing demand for drinking water. A review of The Earth after Us: What Legacy Will Humans Leave in the Rocks? by Jan Zalasiewicz. The Great Persuader: Like FDR and Reagan, Obama can move a crowd — but can he do what they did and move the country? Odd man out: An article on Chuck Hagel’s Republican exile. From Edge, Sendhil Mullainathan on the irony of poverty. The chaplain's dilemma: Can pastors in the military serve God and government? From Commentary, an article on speculators, politicians, and financial disasters. Optimism is a Warm Gun: Daniel Larison on how the smiley ideology kills happiness. The Reformer's Rubbish: Archaeologists unveil secrets of Luther's life. How about a little loyalty? In politics, media and beyond, our society's new heroes are complicated people with glimmers of hope — a look at pop culture now.  From nth position, a review of books on HG Wells. An interview with Tracy Chapman, the quiet revolutionary. An interview with James K. Galbraith, populist economist. Britain’s four nations: For John Lloyd, the UK is likely to remain united.

From Wired, an article on The Godfather of Bangalore; and a look at how math unraveled the "Hard Day's Night" mystery. Could climate change and economic collapse consign us to the same fate as the Mayans? Farhad Manjoo on a radical business plan for Facebook: Charge people. An article on LinkedIn, the site that likes a bad economy. Great expectations: Should doctors give patients placebos? The beauty world is traditional in one respect: nepotism.  A look at what the public doesn't get about climate change. Al Gore on the Climate for Change: How we can save the economy and the earth at the same time. Why, after 30 years of deregulation, is the state bigger than ever? Scott McLemee reviews The Private Abuse of the Public Interest: Market Myths and Policy Muddles by Lawrence Brown and Lawrence Jacobs. The scariest part about the economic collapse is that, even still, nobody knows what's going on. From Capitalism, a look at how the connection of Alan Greenspan to Ayn Rand, decades ago, is being used to blacken her name and her ideas. Where did Adam Smith go wrong? Michael Walzer investigates. From The National, on his ride to work, Mansour Ajami takes in humanity: rushing, sleeping, phoning, listening humanity; and a review of Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick.

From The New Yorker, David Remnick on The Joshua Generation: Race and the campaign of Barack Obama; Ryan Lizza on how Obama won; James Wood on Obama's victory speech: A very good night for the English language; George Packer on how the economic crisis can help Obama redefine the Democrats; Roger Angell on a new start for the Greatest Generation; and article on Rahm Emanuel’s mind, body, and spirit. Paul Krugman on Franklin Delano Obama. First things first: Some thoughts on what Obama's top priority should be. Doris Kearns Goodwin on learning from past presidents in moments of crisis. A look at how transition periods have played out over the past six administrations. From GOOD, a look at the First 100 Days of the last 12 presidents. Sometimes continuity trumps change: Three Bush appointees in crucial positions likely to remain. In the great national narrative, where will Obama's election really fit? Five historians answer. From Time, an article on the official end of the Reagan Era. GOP rebranded: How New England's Republicans can hit "restart". What's ahead for Gov. Palin? Seven challenges. From National Review, an interview with Joe the Plumber. What a long, strange trip it’s been: Bill Ayers looks back on a surreal campaign season (and an interview at The New Yorker). Obameidolia: Well, you knew this had to happen eventually.

From New York, geek pop star: Malcolm Gladwell’s elegant and wildly popular theories about modern life have turned his name into an adjective — Gladwellian! A review of Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York’s Urban Underground by Gregory Snyder. A review of The Reading Nation in the Romantic Period by William St. Clair and The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes by Jonathan Rose. Claude of the Jungle: Claude Levi-Strauss turns 100. God for the godless: An article on Salman Rushdie's secular sermon. Shift happens: Will 2012 bring the end of the world as we know it? #@!*: What makes language foul? From Mute, Margarita Gluzberg's fascination with the fictions that sustain capitalism seems increasingly relevant as they start to unravel in the face of the financial crisis. All bets are off: Spreading the risk has spread the losses. Did people who knew about secret, CIA-led coups use that information to game the stock market? Why don't war heroes win the presidency? Does executive authority corrupt the mind? A review of In Sickness and in Power: Illnesses in Heads of Government During the Last 100 Years by David Owen. With election over, interest groups are calling in the IOUs. What does covering a two-year campaign do to the soul of a journalist? Help for election addicts: Recovery strategies for those coming down off a two-year campaign binge.