From Al-Ahram, what became of the Arab state? Akram Zaatari’s excavations of Lebanon’s past explore its forgotten relics and contested zones — and trace an untold history of violence and resistance. Can the Muppets make friends in Ramallah?: The Palestinian territories have been a tough place to strike a balance between promoting “Sesame Street” values while portraying a realistic version of local life. Can Saudi Arabia remake itself by reforming its education system? In one way or another, it has managed to fail miserably. A just withdrawal: Michael Walzer and Nicolaus Mills on our moral obligation to the Iraqis we leave behind. A review of People Like Us: Misrepresenting the Middle East by Joris Luyendijk. Juan Cole on top ten things you didn't know about Iran. Thomas PM Barnett on 10 reasons why sanctions on Iran won't work. If Tehran gets the bomb: Lee Smith on how Iranian nukes would reshape the Middle East. From World Affairs, Nicholas Schmidle on Talibanistan: The Talibs at home. Here's the story of the Taliban's fall and rise, in their own words. From Commentary, Max Boot on how we can win in Afghanistan. From Dissent, Todd Gitlin on getting out of Afghanistan. The struggle to set the future course of the Afghan war is becoming a battle of two books — both suddenly popular among White House and Pentagon brain trusts. A look at how Al Qaeda's diminished role is stirring the Afghan troop debate. Hannah Bloch reviews Islamism in the Shadow of al-Qaeda by Francois Burgat. From The American Interest, Jeffrey Herf on The Totalitarian Present: Why the West consistently underplays the power of a bad idea.

From Words Without Borders, a special issue on international reporting. The trend in dying: What should we make of all these celebrity deaths? How Starbucks lost its fidelity: An excerpt from Trade-Off: Why Some Things Catch On, and Others Don't by Kevin Maney. Minitruths and Maxiluv: Is there anything new to say about Orwell's 1984? An interview with Jesse Sheidlower, author of The F Word. How Iago explains the world: “Othello” speaks to one of the most salient confusions of our time — the conflict between transparency and secrecy. A review of Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People by Tim Reiterman. From n+1, Mark Greif on Repressive Sentimentalism: "Gay marriage is a preparation for institutions beyond marriage; abortion a means to life beyond patriarchy. So we want the beyond". Many, many ounces of prevention: Gary Becker on how the staggering cost of another great pandemic justifies a lot of expensive preparation now. A review of The Lie Detectors: The History of an American Obsession by Ken Alder. Dean Baker debunks the dumping-the-dollar conspiracy. If you really must offend someone, wait until they are lying down. Animal Instincts: Zoophiles love and have sex with animals — will the world ever accept them? From Popular Mechanics, eight experts weigh in on the future of human spaceflight. From Swans, an article on transhumance and the estive: A revival of pastoralism. A review of books on Bonnie and Clyde. To infinity and beyond: Fancy the matchless freedom of paragliding — but any time, any place, anywhere?

From Education Review, a review of Race and Education by Aaron David Gresson. Making school cool: America needs a new way to sell education to the young, black men. From EbonyJet, Howard or Harvard? The pros and cons of attending an HBCU versus an Ivy League college or university. In 40 years of African-American Studies, what have we learnt? John McWhorter on what African-American Studies could be. Standpoint on reputations: Henry Louis Gates is overrated, Thomas Sowell is underrated. Affirmative distraction: Shelby Steele on how the language of discrimination hurts blacks. A review of Can You Hear Me Now? The Inspiration, Wisdom, and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson. With diminishing places for thoughtful criticism, black cultural critics exist as little more than commentators on the Obama White House. The first chapter from Racial Justice in the Age of Obama by Roy L. Brooks. How to meet a black leader: E. Ethelbert Miller on state of leadership. From NPR, an article on black women — successful and still unmarried. From The Root, beauty, the brush and black girl pain: How one troubling YouTube video brought out the screaming little girl in all of us. Elizabeth Gates on the war over black hair. Burning relaxers, expensive extensions, African-American identity: Chris Rock covers it all, and keeps us laughing (and more). Men have "good hair" issues, too: Caesars, fades, size-ups, faux-hawks, even Jay-Z’s “peasy head” — one guy’s barbershop journey through life. Are reality television shows good for black America? A look at how #uknowurblackwhen became popular on Twitter.

From Seed, are secrets of the evolution of the mind to be found by imagining the ancestors of tool-wielding crows, or is such an approach strictly for the birds? New study of the brain shows that facts and beliefs are processed in exactly the same way. Thinking literally: The surprising ways that metaphors shape your world. How much of your memory is true?: New research shows that memories are constantly being re-written by our minds. Understanding the anxious mind: Is the economy making you nervous, or could it be the way you’re hard-wired? I didn't sin, it was my brain: Brain researchers have found the sources of many of our darkest thoughts, from envy to wrath. New brain scanners claim to distinguish truth from lies — should we trust them? A review of Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life by Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang and Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age by Viktor Mayer-Schonberger. Learning to move a computer cursor or robotic arm with nothing but thoughts can be no different from learning how to play tennis or ride a bicycle. Imagine controlling machines, typing text or juggling balls using nothing but the power of thought; what sounds like far-fetched science fiction is gradually becoming possible (and more). A patchwork mind: How your parents' genes shape your brain. Does exercise have to be strenuous or aerobic to be beneficial to the brain? Meet the forgotten 90 percent of your brain: glial cells, which outnumber your neurons ten to one — and no one really knows what they do.