From Vanity Fair, the Obamas may have the smartest, most finely calibrated press operation in White House history — just don’t ask them to admit it. Say what you will about Rush and Newt, but they've successfully tilted media coverage to the right. From The Guardian, Mary Midgley on Hobbes's Leviathan and strange selves, freedom and desolation, selfishness, total freedom, and individualism (and a response to readers), war, and can we ride the Leviathan? Beneath the Idol, the Bureaucrat: A recently published volume of Guy Debord's early letters provides insights into a singular personality, and the fractious relationships that spawned the Situationist International. Becoming Barbarians: Hungry, rootless, and revolutionary, the Right has adopted the habits of the horde. Dahlia Lithwick on how Guantanamo is the least of America's prison problems. Thank Bernanke: More than Obama, more than Geithner, more than anyone, it is the once-maligned Federal Reserve chairman who has saved us from the second Great Depression. A look at why women really are more socially aggressive than men (with apologies to Jezebel.com) Politics outside politics: A look at how women redefine democracy. Can the Colombian pop sensation Shakira make early-childhood education the No. 1 priority in Latin America?

From Der Spiegel, an essay on Trans-Atlantic Comparisons: Sophisticated Europeans, obese Americans?; why Europeans have it wrong about Americans; and is the US really a nation of God-fearing Darwin-haters? Si Newhouse’s Dream Factory: What happens to a magazine empire built on glossy fantasies when harsher realities intrude? From Splice Today, an article on Dave Eggers and the myth of print's importance. Do you know about this new J.D. Salinger lawsuit? Save J.D. Salinger's archives! International Man of Misery: The global economy is in free fall, but do-gooder Jeffrey Sachs, formerly known as Doctor Shock, is still trying to end poverty and save the world — can he, can anybody? Just Like Bush: Obama used the same rhetoric as his predecessor — so why was he so much more effective? New Statesman profiles Michael Sandel. US states as countries of equal population: At last, the worlds of cartography, vexillology and population statistics meet! Let’s not forget another important piece of Sonia Sotomayor's identity: She is a New Yorker, through and through (and more). Richard Pryor as stand-up philosopher: The great American comic satirized white racism, his fellow blacks, and himself. There are rules to playing the everyman celebrity — violate them at your own risk.

From New Scientist, a special report: Can science reinvent the economy? Teresa Ghilarducci on why budget deficits are just what the doctor ordered: Without government deficits the Great Recession would be a lot uglier (and more). The Downturnaround Is Here: Or is it? A worrier’s guide to our economic future. Here's the employment situation in pictures. A review of Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford. Joseph Epstein on Joseph Epstein, unhandyman. Ezra Klein interviews Christina Romer and Bernie Sanders on health care reform. From TAP, a four-part series on women and work. The Best Hope Still: Despite large obstacles, Obama is right to push the two-state solution (and more from Dissent; and more and more from FP) Want to fix what ails corporate America? Democratize the boards. From The Nation, a review of books on Darwin and slavery (and more from Bookforum). From Vision, an article on George Orwell: Writing a revolution (and more). An idiot’s guide to bargaining: Whether at work, shopping or dating, there is an art to getting a good deal out of a transaction. From "The Jack Benny Program" to "Spinal Tap" to "The Simpsons", Harry Shearer has done it all — so what's he going to do next?

From The American Scholar, a review of Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920 by Jackson Lears; and not ready for Mt. Rushmore: Matthew Dallek on reconciling the myth of Ronald Reagan with the reality (and as Ronald Reagan an even worse president than George W. Bush?) From Mercatornet, nominations for top public intellectuals who support human dignity. Farewell to Judgment: Roger Scruton on the difficult task of recapturing the universities. From Nerve, a look at the twenty sexiest ugly people. Where have all the Muses gone? Helen's face launched a thousand ships — inspiration is harder to come by these days. Why is anti-abortion violence at an all-time high when radical pro-life activism is on the decline? Are the stories of a 19th century midwife named Ann Lohman and Dr. George Tiller that different? Tiller's Killer: Is it wrong to murder an abortionist? Art and Appropriation: Using trash to make art is a political statement, though not necessarily the one the artists may intend. Reimagining socialism: George A. Papandreou on the challenge of global governance. Research suggests sometimes nice guys finish first. From TNR, Jed Perl reviews "Francis Bacon: A Centenary Retrospective" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (and more; and more on Bacon at Bookforum).