Newsletter 380

[5]Google+ Is The Social Backbone
Links:
5. http://b.rw/n8JOqN

Edd Dumbill | O'Reilly Radar | 19 July 2011

Superb analysis. Openness and interoperability is potential game-changer.
And what Facebook can't offer. "Google+ is the rapidly growing seed of a
web-wide social backbone, and catalyst for the ultimate uniting of the
social graph" [6]Comments
Links:
6. http://thebrowser.com/articles/google-social-backbone

[7]Cyber Weapons, The New Arms Race
Links:
7. http://b.rw/rhhV8X

Michael Riley & Ashlee Vance | Businessweek | 20 July 2011

Fascinating on rise of cyber weapons that can attack moving cars, water
supplies, banking systems, even nuclear plants. As former CIA director
admits: “We are able to do things which we have not yet decided are wise to
do” [8]Comments
Links:
8. http://thebrowser.com/articles/cyber-weapons-new-arms-race

[9]Great Bad Men As Bosses
Links:
9. http://b.rw/obPvnC

Schumpeter | Economist | 21 July 2011

"Many tycoons suffer from what Norwegians call _stormannsgalskap_, the
madness of great men. It's particularly common among media barons, not least
because they frequently blur the line between reporting reality and shaping
it" [10]Comments
Links:
10. http://thebrowser.com/articles/great-bad-men-bosses

[11]Two Kinds Of Magic
Links:
11. http://b.rw/osMncl

James Fenton | NYRB | 18 July 2011

A joy to see James Fenton returning to his earlier life as theatre critic.
And reflecting here on grand versus intimate theatre, as exemplified by
Cirque du Soleil's "Zarkana", and Peter Brooks's farewell production of
"Magic Flute" [12]Comments
Links:
12. http://thebrowser.com/articles/two-kinds-magic

[13]God Damn: The Economics Of Malediction
Links:
13. http://b.rw/nqHRjm

Peter Leeson | Peter Leeson | 18 July 2011

Academic paper, a touch tongue-in-cheek, on superstition among rational
actors. Without functioning government, medieval clerics used religious
curses to protect their property. Apparently, it worked pretty well. But
why? (PDF) [14]Comments
Links:
14. http://thebrowser.com/articles/god-damn-economics-malediction

[15]Obituary: Lucian Freud
Links:
15. http://b.rw/ro8xf3

Anonymous | Telegraph | 21 July 2011

Grandson of Sigmund Freud. Expelled from school for bringing dogs into
chapel. At least 13 children by five mothers. "Portrait of a Benefits
Supervisor" fetched $33.6m in 2008, world record price for work by living
painter [16]Comments
Links:
16. http://thebrowser.com/articles/obituary-lucian-freud

FiveBooks Interview

[17]Colin Thubron on Travel Writing
Links:
17. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/colin-thubron-on-travel-writing

The much-travelled author reflects on more than 40 years of writing about
other cultures and shares his own favourite travel reading with us [18]Read
on
Links:
18. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/colin-thubron-on-travel-writing