FiveBooks Newsletter 124

Links to all our original FiveBooks interviews of the week before, plus a pick of the best content on The Browser.
FiveBooks weekly newsletter: Links to all our original FiveBooks interviews of the week before, plus a pick of the best content on The Browser.
(http://thebrowser.com)

FiveBooks at The Browser

FiveBooks News

Michela Wrong on Africa

Friday November 9

The long-time foreign correspondent and author of books on Zaire, Eritrea and Kenya tells us where to turn for engaging foreign perspectives on Africa
Continue reading… (http://thebrowser.com/interviews/michela-wrong-on-africa)

Ruth Reichl on American Food

Thursday November 8

The Puritans got modern American cuisine off to a bad start. But the food writer and critic says subsequent immigrants have helped create a culture where food is appreciated Continue reading… (http://thebrowser.com/interviews/ruth-reichl-on-american-food)

HW Brands on American Presidents

Wednesday November 7

The best presidential biographies contain insights into both the personal and the political, says the historian HW Brands. So which presidential biographers does he rate highly? Continue reading… (http://thebrowser.com/interviews/h-w-brands-on-american-presidents)

Sara Maitland on Silence

Tuesday November 6

Modern Western societies often seem to be intolerant of silence. Why should this be? And is there any alternative? The author of "A Book of Silence" explains Continue reading… (http://thebrowser.com/interviews/sara-maitland-on-silence)

Jack Rakove on the US Constitution

Monday November 5

The Pulitzer prize-winning history professor tells us how the Constitution came to be written and ratified and explains why, after more than 200 years, Americans are still so deeply wedded to it
Continue reading… (http://thebrowser.com/interviews/jack-rakove-on-us-constitution)
(http://www.amazon.com/Best-of-FiveBooks-2011-ebook/dp/B007GAM6RC?tag=thebro-21)

Best of the Moment

Loss & Gain, Or The Fate Of The Book

Anthony Daniels | New Criterion | 1 November 2012

On the demise of printed books. "To refuse to use the new technology in the hope of preserving old pleasures would be no more authentic or honest than Marie Antoinette playing shepherdess. The regret is genuine; the refusal is not" More like this (http://thebrowser.com/best)

(http://thebrowser.com/reports/human-modification)

Human Modification

Scientists are experimenting with different ways to enhance humans. What's possible? And what may be possible in the future? Does messing with Mother Nature raise ethical questions? Read on (http://thebrowser.com/reports/human-modification)

Book of the Week

Book of the Day

What Does It All Mean?  by Thomas Nagel

Nigel Warburton says (http://thebrowser.com/interviews/nigel-warburton-on-introductions-philosophy) : “Nagel goes through all the major areas of philosophy with a very light touch. The writing is almost Orwellian in its simplicity and directness” FiveBooks Archive (http://thebrowser.com/fivebooks)

Video of the Week

Paul Bloom: The Psychology Of Everything

(http://thebrowser.com/videos/paul-bloom-psychology-everything)

It's a longish video: 43'. But it's a biggish subject: The human mind More videos (http://thebrowser.com/videos)

Quote of the Week

Karl Lagerfeld, on himself (http://karllagerfeldquotes.tumblr.com/post/12510673296/im-very-much-down-to-earth-just-not-this-earth)

"I'm very down to earth, just not this earth"

More quotes (http://thebrowser.com/quotations)

Reader Recommendations

@henrylf What If Everyone Did That? #browsings #philosophy t.co/8bD0CvDV #browsings (https://twitter.com/search?q=#browsings) More like this (http://thebrowser.com/browsings)