Newsletter 844

16 Nov 2012 • 2 min read

Best of the Moment

A Mormon Reporter On The Romney Bus

McKay Coppins | BuzzFeed | 14 November 2012

Has Mitt Romney "normalised" Mormonism, made it possible for there to be a future Mormon president? Who better to ask than Coppins, a Mormon himself, who observed the Romney campaign at close quarters and saw how the issue played Comments (http://thebrowser.com/articles/mormon-reporter-romney-bus)

Fetish For Making Things Ignores Real Work

John Kay | John Kay/FT | 14 November 2012

"The idea that manufacturing is the central economic activity and everything else is somehow subordinate is deeply ingrained in human thinking." But why privilege, say, drugmakers above doctors and research scientists? Comments (http://thebrowser.com/articles/fetish-making-things-ignores-real-work)

Sweet Forgiveness

Mike Konczal | Boston Review | 12 November 2012

How can the US escape its low-growth/high-unemployment trap? One theory is that the fundamental problem is the welter of households facing unpayable debts. If that's so, debt relief would help. But it's gone right out of fashion Comments (http://thebrowser.com/articles/sweet-forgiveness)

Oliver Sacks' Most Mind-Bending Experiment

Adam Higginbotham | Telegraph | 13 November 2012

Engaging profile-cum-interview. Renowned neurologist; enthusiastic drug taker in his youth. "On a massive dose of morphine, he lay in bed for 12 hours watching the Battle of Agincourt take place on the sleeve of his dressing gown" Comments (http://thebrowser.com/articles/oliver-sacks-most-mind-bending-experiment)

How A Vicious Circle Of Self-Interest Sank A Californian City

Tim Reid, Cezary Podkul & Ryan McNeill | Reuters | 13 November 2012

How did San Bernardino, once a prosperous, middle-class community, become a bankrupt, crime-ridden, foreclosure-blighted basket case? It's surprisingly clear and straightforward; a train wreck that could have been averted Comments (http://thebrowser.com/articles/how-vicious-circle-self-interest-sank-californian-city)

The Eugenic Impulse

Nathaniel Comfort | Chronicle Review | 12 November 2012

It "drives us to eliminate disease, to live longer and healthier, with greater intelligence and a better adjustment to the conditions of society". The question is not whether there ought to be such an impulse, but how to proceed Comments (http://thebrowser.com/articles/eugenic-impulse)
(http://www.amazon.com/Best-of-FiveBooks-2011-ebook/dp/B007GAM6RC?tag=thebro-21)

FiveBooks Interview

(http://thebrowser.com/interviews/lord-alderdice-on-psychology-terrorism)

Lord Alderdice on The Psychology of Terrorism

Terrorism is a misused, overused term. Correctly used, it refers to a specific form of asymmetric warfare. The Northern Ireland peace negotiator tells us how and why it starts and what can end it Read on (http://thebrowser.com/interviews/lord-alderdice-on-psychology-terrorism)

Featured Special Report

(http://thebrowser.com/reports/petraeus-affair)

The Petraeus Affair

An affair with his biographer has cost the CIA director, David Petraeus, his job. Should it have done? Read on (http://thebrowser.com/reports/petraeus-affair)

Reader Recommendations

@polit2k RT @edyong209: RT @mocost: Einstein's unusual brain t.co/iYublhQh #browsings (https://twitter.com/search?q=#browsings) More like this (http://thebrowser.com/browsings)

Book of the Day

Book of the Day (http://thebrowser.com/recommended/public-opinion-by-walter-lippmann-0)

Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann

"News is what is easiest for a reporter to recognise, not necessarily most important for the public to know – a kidnapping, a bombing, a court filing – anything that pokes up from the irregular and massive tissue of reality and events" FiveBooks Archive (http://thebrowser.com/fivebooks/archive)