Mikel Burley (Leeds) Immortality and meaning: Reflections on the Makropoulos debate. A review of Death Benefits: How Losing a Parent Can Change an Adult's Life—For the Better by Jeanne Safer (and an interview). Lots of animals learn, but smarter isn’t better. From National Journal, the Bush administration's campaign to spread democracy in the Arab and Islamic world is in danger of imploding — the next administration will have to pick up the pieces. Obama and Orwell: What the master Brit can teach Democrats about elitism. The introduction to Political Hypocrisy: The Mask of Power, from Hobbes to Orwell and Beyond by David Runciman. Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr talks about his quest for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination. From Reason, who's going to get your wasted vote? A guide to the wildest Libertarian Party nomination fight in decades; and from liberal hawks to "National Greatness" conservatives: More on They Knew They Were Right by Jacob Heilbrunn. Mommy, how did your bosom get so big? There are books to explain grief, jealousy, digestion — but there was one untapped niche. From Mute, is a rabble run media becoming a possibility? And are artists in the vanguard or blocking the way? Larry Gagosian is the man who changed the art world — and he doesn't want to talk about it. More on The Commission by Philip Shenon.
