From The Public Eye, Michelle Goldberg reviews The Transparent Cabal: The Neoconservative Agenda, War in the Middle East, and the National Interest of Israel by Stephen J. Sniegoski; a look at how the battle over labor law reform shows the true power of the Right; remembering the New Right: Political strategy and the building of the GOP coalition; and from movements to mosques, informants endanger democracy. Rise of the Sultans: How far will Iran's rulers go to consolidate their power? Bringing up Princess: Megan Basham on turning girls into narcissists. A review of The Modern Girl Around the World: Consumption, Modernity and Globalization. A review of A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert (and more). Naomi Wold on feminism and the male brain. What does the research about how gender influences judging actually say? Conservatism and the university curriculum: If they can find time for feminist theory, they can find time for Edmund Burke. Nearly independent day: Greenland gives Denmark the cold shoulder, but would it ever be viable as a country? "The Star-Spangled Banner" has got to go, but what should replace it? A review of Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism by Woden Teachout. Alexander Cockburn becomes an American.

From The Economist, a special report on biotech. Judgment seems impossible to describe or automate: For all its reliance on instruments, computers, and code, science remains a profoundly human enterprise. Could we engineer a cooler planet? Samuel Thernstrom investigates. Gearing up for the Apocalypse: For some evangelicals, marginalization has hardened belief in the imminence of The End. The satirists' manifesto: A look at how contemporary humour is now powerful enough — at least in democracies — to dictate terms of engagement to public figures. An interview with Allison Silverman, "one of the rare women in humor writing". Funny women need to develop some balls: If TV panel shows are confrontational and laddish, female performers should stop moaning and get stuck in. The end of Jewish humor: Uh oh, Judaism is dying — again. The Observer profiles Sacha Baron Cohen, the comic who is always in your face. Dashing, brilliant, best friends, yet their lives could not have been more different: Martin Amis tells Harry de Quetteville about his tragic muse. The author as performer: Writers are shifting away from traditional book readings towards stage shows. Meet the readers? No thanks. The truth about writers: What do they really do with all that time?

From TNR, a review of Rosenfeld's Lives: Fame, Oblivion, and the Furies of Writing by Steven J. Zipperstein. A review of What's Next: Dispatches on the future of science. Sonya Geis reviews West of the West: Dreamers, Believers, Builders, and Killers in the Golden State by Mark Arax. The winding paths of capital: David Harvey interviews Giovanni Arrighi (and a remembrance). If you measure the health of literature by its impact on language, than there's no genre in better condition than SF. Geeks in Space: Why tech nerds are especially drawn to rocket travel. Blacks in Space: If sci-fi is the future, why is it so white? Jews in Space: In space no one can hear you scream — but can they hear you kvetch? From Technology Review, what is the future of humans in space? Selling education, manufacturing technocrats, torturing souls: An article on the tyranny of being practical. What to do if your child has superpowers: A FAQ for concerned parents. Where’s the pride in pride parades? In a politically important moment for the gay community, thongs and theatrics don’t cut it. Fifty years after Stonewall: What will LGBT scholarship look like over the next decade? Scott McLemee asks around. From Der Spiegel, an article on the Mosuo matriarchy: "Men live better where women are in charge".  

From Naked Punch, Simon Critchley on his violent thoughts about Slavoj Zizek (and Critchley on how to make it in the afterlife). From Ethics & International Affairs, Amy Zalman and Jonathan Clarke on The Global War on Terror: A Narrative in Need of a Rewrite. Vanity Fair’s editor Graydon Carter tells daily newspapers to stop bitching and get back to work. Wha-unhhh: Here's a defense of the tennis grunt (and more). From Slate, climate change never mind: How one think tank adapted when the debate moved on from its favorite issue; and a look at why the Uighurs who were detained at Guantanamo might end up hating Palau (and more). The residents of Palau are less than thrilled about their latest immigrants. Thomas P.M. Barnett on why Ahmadinejad is better for the U.S. than Moussavi. Color me baffled: Thomas Frank's magazine The Baffler lives again. A History of Violence: What previous protests and revolutions in Iran can teach us about the current crisis. Let the People Decide: An article on the case for soft intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A review of Stephen Jay Gould and the Politics of Evolution by David F. Prindle. They say government scientists messed with their minds; now, veterans of secret psychedelic tests want answers.