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