Newsletter 845

17 Nov 2012 • 2 min read

Best of the Moment

The Hazards Of Growing Up Painlessly

Justin Heckert | NYT | 15 November 2012

Ashlyn Blocker, 13, has a congenital insensitivity to pain. It's a very rare condition stemming from a genetic mutation. "Her life story offers an amazing snapshot of how complicated a life can get without the guidance of pain" Comments (https://thebrowser.com/articles/hazards-growing-painlessly)

Life With Paddy Leigh Fermor

Peter Green | TLS | 14 November 2012

Agreeably waspish, even envious, review of Artemis Cooper's biography of the writer and traveller. "His undeniable charm was frequently interpreted as an attribute of the freeloading gigolo with a weakness for titled ladies" Comments (https://thebrowser.com/articles/life-paddy-leigh-fermor)

The Hackers Of Damascus

Stephan Faris | Businessweek | 15 November 2012

War in Syria is being waged not just in the streets and countryside, but in cyberspace. Through Facebook pages and YouTube accounts, hacks and counterhacks, the two sides are engaged in a vicious battle for supremacy Comments (https://thebrowser.com/articles/hackers-damascus)

What Do Animals Want?

Marian Stamp Dawkins | Edge | 14 November 2012

Problematic to talk about animal rights on the basis that animals have consciousness much as humans do, because we don't understand consciousness. At most we can talk about animal welfare. What is good for animals is good for humans Comments (https://thebrowser.com/articles/what-do-animals-want)

I, Lowborn Cur

Colin Burrow | London Review Of Books | 13 November 2012

On the naming of characters in fiction. "Henry James was a great fretter over names, as you might expect from someone who had the same names as his father, both of which could be interchangeably a surname or a first name" Comments (https://thebrowser.com/articles/i-lowborn-cur)

Untrack: Letting Go Of The Stress Of Measuring

Leo Babauta | Zen Habits | 13 November 2012

Do you measure the miles you run, the calories you consume, the hours you sleep or work? If so, think about this: "When you track a metric, you are saying that’s more important than all the things that can’t be measured" Comments (https://thebrowser.com/articles/untrack-letting-go-stress-measuring)
(http://www.amazon.com/Best-of-FiveBooks-2011-ebook/dp/B007GAM6RC?tag=thebro-21)

FiveBooks Interview

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

Featured Special Report

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