Newsletter 227

7 Feb 2011 • 3 min read

Dear reader,
You may have noticed that we unrolled a fresh design for our homepage over
the weekend. We hope you find it makes it even easier to find the writing
worth reading. Here are the articles which our editor selected today as Best
of the Moment.

[1]
Fears of Islam Mislead Egypt’s Overseers
Links:
1. http://b.rw/f34UwI

Mark Mazower | FT | 6 February 2011

Terrible title, great piece. For real change in Egypt, we need change in
Western attitudes. Western powers have been trying to run Egypt since late
19C, drawn by Suez Canal and by hopes of fomenting, or avoiding, religious
war

[2]Flu Breakthrough Promises A Vaccine To Kill All Strains
Links:
2. http://b.rw/hX8RnI

Alok Jha | Guardian | 6 February 2011

Oxford scientists release details of remarkable new flu treatment that
"targets proteins inside the flu virus that are common across all strains,
instead of those that sit on the virus's external coat, which are liable to
mutate"

[3]Can a Computer Win On "Jeopardy"?
Links:
3. http://b.rw/feh9zK

Stephen Baker | WSJ | 5 February 2011

Book extract. How IBM built and programmed a computer to beat human
contestants in a television game show. Tougher than chess, apparently.
Computer is fast, great with facts, but bad with puns and complex grammar.
And it crashes

[4]Why Tunis, Why Cairo?
Links:
4. http://b.rw/fDWFHo

Issandr El Amrani | LRB | 5 February 2011

Outstanding commentary on Arab rebellions. Tunisia has changed
fundamentally. Egyptian "deep state" may survive Mubarak. Impressive detail
on Egypt's domestic security apparatus: "parallel government" with 2m agents
and informants

[5]How 'The Fridge' Lost His Way
Links:
5. http://b.rw/fIy2VT

Tom Friend | ESPN | 6 February 2011

Brief rise, long fall of American football star William 'The Refrigerator'
Perry. Drank "two or three cases" of beer a night when playing. Decline
speeded by illness. Now 48-year-old, incontinent, housebound, 400-pound
alcoholic

[6]Twenty Reasons Why It's Kicking-Out Time
Links:
6. http://b.rw/gLvBHx

Paul Mason | BBC | 5 February 2011

Common factors in social unrest around the world, from Ireland to Egypt. "At
the heart of it all is a new sociological type: the graduate with no
future". But with access to social media. And an understanding of how power
works

[7]Paul Haggis vs Church Of Scientology
Links:
7. http://b.rw/e5K3MS

Lawrence Wright | New Yorker | 6 February 2011

Respected Hollywood director quits church after 35 years. Angered initially
by opposition to gay marriage. Decides on reflection whole thing is pack of
lies. Much interesting background on Scientology's hunger for celebrities
[8]View full selection
Links:
8. http://thebrowser.com/best

Today's FiveBooks Interview

[9]Andy Beckett on =THE 1970S=
Links:
9. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/andy-beckett-on-1970s

Andy Beckett’s choices point to a welcome reassessment of the 1970s, that
much-maligned 'gothic' decade, and sweep from London to Los Angeles by way
of Malcolm Bradbury and John le Carré [10]Continue reading…
Links:
10. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/andy-beckett-on-1970s

Topic

[11]Financial Crisis
Links:
11. http://thebrowser.com/topics/financial-crisis

In-depth primer for both the expert and the amateur. Experts interviewed
include Eichengreen, Barro and Rodrik. Wide range of hand-picked background
articles
[12]Continue reading…
Links:
12. http://thebrowser.com/topics/financial-crisis

Book of the Day

[13]Oryx and Crake
Links:
13. http://thebrowser.com/recommended/oryx-and-crake-by-margaret-atwood

-by Margaret Atwood -

[14]

More recommendations…

Browsings
Links:
14. http://thebrowser.com/fivebooks

[15]alexlankester Haunting, intimate, harrowing photo essay by award winning
Darcy Padilla. Be prepared. [16]bit.ly/e9VTqs #[17]browsings
Links:
15. http://twitter.com/alexlankester
16. http://bit.ly/e9VTqs
17. http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=#browsings

[18]More user recommended #browsings…
Links:
18. http://thebrowser.com/browsings

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