From The American Prospect, towards an economics of shared prosperity: A manifesto from the "Thinking Big, Thinking Forward" conference; and Robert Kuttner on a time to think big: America's lawmakers must do more than repair the economy — they have to rebuild it. An interview with Ronald Aronson, author of Living Without God: New Directions for Atheists, Agnostics, Secularists, and the Undecided. From Granta, Joseph O’Neill on why Updike matters. Flash Yr Idols: From Kolkata and the universe within Krishna’s mouth to Vermont and the pleasures of virtual prayer. The introduction to The Godfather Doctrine: A Foreign Policy Parable by John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell. Cutting edge research: Calculating the force used in a stabbing can prove crucial in determining guilt, a team of engineers has found. A review of Metaphor and Continental Philosophy: From Kant to Derrida by Clive Cazeaux. Did the woman who sang "Unpack Your Adjectives" ever get together with the guy who sang "I'm Just a Bill"? It turns out the answer is yes! This is the moment for conservatives to ask: What would Jesse do? From Metapsychology, a review of Moral Dimensions: Permissibility, Meaning, Blame by T. M. Scanlon; and a review of Radical Virtues: Moral Wisdom and the Ethics of Contemporary Life by Richard White.

From Metapsychology, a review of Boundaries in Human Relationships: How to Be Separate and Connected by Anne Linden; a review of Intimacies by Leo Bersani and Adam Phillips; and a review of Prude: How the Sex-Obsessed Culture Damages Girls (and America, Too!) by Carol Platt Liebau. A review of The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst by Kenneth Whyte. What makes someone a Holocaust denier? The Toxic Paradox: Can we really protect our kids from everything? The kitchen is political: Jerker Jansson, Sweden’s Thinking Chef, cooks a lamb stew while lamenting the death of radicalism and solidarity. A review of A Time to Speak: Selected Writings and Arguments by Robert H. Bork. From Wired, a look at how little London shop MDM Props turns ideas into art. It's time for Amazon group therapy, where readers like you gather to vent about bad books. A look at how Nate Silver predicted Obama’s win. Time to hang up the pajamas: Daniel Lyons learned the hard way — while blogs can do many wonderful things, making huge amounts of money isn't one of them. The Myth of Bipartisanship: Given the consistent failure of compromise between Republicans and Democrats, it might be time to take away the minority's most harmful weapon, the filibuster. Diving with a purpose: An amateur diver finds archaeology. 

From Mute, a review of Art and Social Change: A Critical Reader. Does an $8 chocolate bar offer something beyond taste to the beleaguered consumer? Don't believe the economists who say America is in an irreversible decline. Great Emancipator or unreconstructed racist, defender of civil liberties or subverter of the Constitution? Each generation evokes a different Lincoln. Have you been regularly inserting yourself internationally? If not, then congratulations — you have yet to enter the world of strategy-speak. Generations of children have been spellbound by Robinson Crusoe's exploits, but few are aware of the real-life figure who inspired the classic. From Spiked, an article on the hidden horrors of "austerity chic". I Know Where You Live: Location-aware programs are useful for both keeping up with loved ones and inviting stalker-related tragedy. Geert Wilders and the Dutch Republic: An article on confronting Islam in the land of multiculti tolerance. From The Walrus, how Stephen Harper brought Canada to conservatism and the Conservatives to crisis. A review of A World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East — From the Cold War to the War on Terror by Patrick Tyler. A review of The 10 Big Lies About America: Combating Destructive Distortions About Our Nation by Michael Medved. A review of Philosophy for Life by Rupert Read. 

From Vanity Fair, the baby-boomers — newly aware of their mortality — have turned death into a teaching moment (Tuesdays with Morrie), motivational tool ("The Last Lecture"), and sales pitch (all those bucket-list books of things to do before you go). Should we limit family size to save the Earth? Who's messing with Wikipedia? The back-and-forth behind controversial entries could help reveal their true value. Fulham virgins and other slang pleasures: The expressive possibilities of the English language with its sleeves rolled up. A review of We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work by Jimmy Carter (and an interview). The Opposite of Apocalypse: Conservationists are restoring a living tortoise fossil to its prehistoric range — can we recreate nature? A review of The Art and Politics of Science by Harold Varmus. Michael Dirda reviews Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting by Kitty Burns Florey. The New Urbanists: In the last few decades, urban sprawl, once regarded as largely a U.S. phenomenon, has spread across Europe. A review of Europe Between the Oceans: 9000 BC-AD 1000 by Barry Cunliffe. Here's everything you ever wanted to know about Albert Einstein. So maybe the slackers had it right after all. A new day for intellectuals: The election has opened the door to education and expertise, but academics will have to earn respect.