From JBooks, an essay on the philosophical roots of secular Jewishness/Judaism; Paul Buhle on the Jewishness of Jews Without Money; a review of Plumes: Ostrich Feathers, Jews, and a Lost World of Global Commerce by Sarah Abrevay; and what does all this doom and gloom mean for the Jewish book business? An interview with Danny Levine, owner of J. Levine Books & Judaica. From Commentary, a review of Innocent Abroad: An Intimate History of American Peace Diplomacy in the Middle East by Martin Indyk; and an article on the Madoff scandal and the future of American Jewry. From The Nation, adventures in editing: An essay on Ted Solotaroff's Commentary days (and part 2). From FT, an article on the credit crunch according to Soros. Tyler Cowen on how a recession can change a way of life. From Good, a series on the State of the Planet; the United States of Coffee: The country’s top 10 small-batch coffee companies are brewing blends that do more than wake you up; and a look at the Anti-Consumers: Five groups that aren’t buying it. From PopMatters, a review of The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment by Peter Dauvergne; and there can be no doubt that the summer of 2008 stands as a high-water mark for superheroes, but has the superhero genre evolved beyond the comics medium? (and more on cinema and comics).
