FiveBooks Newsletter 58
Today we invited Middle East scholar Marc Lynch to discuss the [5]origins of
the Arab uprising. He says, “The term ‘Arab Spring’ is about as useful as
you’d expect from something that suggests spring begins in December.”
Links:
5. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/marc-lynch-on-origins-arab-uprising
Also on the site this week, political blogger [6]Matthew Yglesias picks
books about progressivism, [7]Dominic Lawson talks chess, and former CIA
operative [8]Robert Baer explains why the politicians didn’t listen to the
intelligence in Iraq.
Links:
6. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/matthew-yglesias-on-influences-progressive-blogger
7. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/dominic-lawson-on-chess
8. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/robert-baer-on-being-spy
Next week, look out for book recommendations on great letter writers,
American food, debunking the paranormal and the end of the West. Thanks for
reading!
FiveBooks News
[9]Marc Lynch on Origins of the Arab Uprising
Links:
9. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/marc-lynch-on-origins-arab-uprising
Friday August 5
The Middle East scholar tells us what to read if we’re to understand where
upheaval in the Arab world came from, and where it’s going [10]Continue
reading…
Links:
10. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/marc-lynch-on-origins-arab-uprising
[11]Dominic Lawson on Chess
Links:
11. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/dominic-lawson-on-chess
Thursday August 4
You don’t have to be a genius to play chess, but it helps. The journalist
tells us about the logical beauty of the game, its history and political
context, and the lives and minds of its greatest masters [12]Continue
reading…
Links:
12. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/dominic-lawson-on-chess
[13]Robert Baer on Being a Spy
Links:
13. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/robert-baer-on-being-spy
Wednesday August 3
The former CIA operative lifts the lid on the reality of spying. He says the
intelligence service knew there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
before the war, but politicians and reporters didn’t listen [14]Continue
reading…
Links:
14. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/robert-baer-on-being-spy
[15]Andrei Codrescu on Fantastical Tales
Links:
15. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/andrei-codrescu-on-fantastic-and-magical-tales
Tuesday August 2
The Romanian-born poet tells us about his love for fantastic and magical
tales – particularly bloody ones with cannibalism, necrophilia and alienated
heroes [16]Continue reading…
Links:
16. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/andrei-codrescu-on-fantastic-and-magical-tales
[17]Helen Dillon on Gardening
Links:
17. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/helen-dillon-on-garden
Monday August 1
The gardening expert recommends five books that have influenced her, from
300 year old gardening tips to the difficulty of describing flowers
[18]Continue reading…
Links:
18. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/helen-dillon-on-garden
[19]Matthew Yglesias on Influences on a Progressive Blogger
Links:
19. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/matthew-yglesias-on-influences-progressive-blogger
Sunday July 31
The prominent left wing blogger tells us what books have shaped his
worldview. He explains why America needs to wake up to the forces preventing
change, and better understand the root causes of its political deadlock
[20]Continue reading…
Links:
20. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/matthew-yglesias-on-influences-progressive-blogger
[21]Occasional Dispatches From The Republic Of Anhedonia
Links:
21. http://b.rw/pE1sde
Colson Whitehead | Grantland | 27 July 2011
Ignore the off-putting title. Thoroughly entertaining story of journalist
entering World Series of Poker. Sports writing at its best. Starts off with
the immortal line: "I have a good poker face because I am half-dead inside"
[22]More like this
Links:
22. http://thebrowser.com/browsings
Featured Topic
[23]Espionage
Links:
23. http://thebrowser.com/topics/espionage
The irresistible subject - spies. Who are they? What do they really do? Are
today's spies that different from the heroes of the Cold War? Read on to
find out [24]Read on
Links:
24. http://thebrowser.com/topics/espionage
Book of the Week
Book of the Day
[25]The Golem by Gustav Meyrink
Links:
25. http://thebrowser.com/recommended/golem-by-gustav-meyrink
[26]Andrei Codrescu says: _“Meyrink’s novel is just one version of the Golem
story, there are dozens”_ [27]FiveBooks Archive
Links:
26. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/andrei-codrescu-on-fantastic-and-magical-tales
27. http://thebrowser.com/fivebooks
Video of the Week
[28]Lucian Freud's Standing by the Rags
Links:
28. http://thebrowser.com/videos/lucian-freuds-standing-rags
Adrian Searle assesses the great painter's legacy
[29]More videos
Links:
29. http://thebrowser.com/videos
Quote of the Week
[30]Michael Foot, on politicians
Links:
30. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/03/ed-miliband-ditch-political-tomes
"Men of power have not time to read; yet men who do not read are unfit for
power"
[31]More quotes
Links:
31. http://thebrowser.com/quotations
Reader Recommendations
@greegreece “Why We Deregulated the Banks | NYT http://nyti.ms/p99IuH
#browsings #gfc2 “free enterprise is not a hunting license.” Ronald
Regan.[32]#browsings
[33]More like this
Links:
32. https://twitter.com/search?q=#browsings
33. http://thebrowser.com/browsings