Contents
January-February 2010
Get Rich NowThe economy will never be the same. It’s time to rethink our definition of “the good life.”by Amitai Etzioni, from The New Republic
Empire of the StunnedSocial critic James Howard Kunstler believes that what killed America’s economy could make society strongerinterview by Leslee Goodman, from The Sun
Work PlanMaytag’s departure left a small Iowa town reeling. Today, a revitalized workforce is fulfilling the potential of green-collar jobs.by Barry Yeoman, from Audubon
We Are All MadoffsOur relationship to the natural world is a Ponzi schemeby David P. Barash, from The Chronicle of Higher Education
A Conspiracy of HateThe extreme right is armed, dangerous, and coming to a town near youby Larry Keller, from Intelligence Report
The Paranoid CenterExaggerating the threat of right-wing violence stifles legitimate dissentby Jesse Walker, from Reason
Crafting a New WorldSociologist Richard Sennett explains how working with our hands enhances critical thinking, radicalizes labor, and makes us proudinterview by Suzanne Ramljak, from American Craft
The Most Trusted Name in News?Al Jazeera English comes to North America with a reputation–for excellent journalismby Deborah Campbell, from The Walrus
Emerging Ideas:
Inventing a Better WorldJosé Gómez-Márquez’s low-tech devices save lives
by Emily Singer, from Technology Review
The Latino CrescentThe changing face of Muslim America
by Lyndsey Matthews, from The Brooklyn Rail
China’s Car-Free OasisHigh-speed urban development goes green in Guangzhou
by Karl Fjellstrom, from Carbusters
The Encyclopedia of LifeOpen-source biology could save a vital sector of science
by Alan Burdick, from OnEarth
Gleanings:
Living WatersWhat it takes to immerse yourself in faith
by Leslie What, from Calyx
A Test of PatienceThe world’s longest, most elusive science experiment
by Mats Bigert, from Cabinet
Not Having a Blast in AppalachiaHow to explore a mountaintop removal site
by Ned Ludd, from Earth First! Journal
Twittering Fools
Nobody is interested in what the public thinks
by Edward Docx, from Prospect
Mindful Living:
Why Do I Get So Lost?One man’s quest for a sense of direction
by Bruce Grierson, from Explore
When Humor HumiliatesGelotophobes dread being the butt of a joke
by Susan Gaidos, from Science News
Power to the Plumbers
Inciting a wastewater revolution
interview by Jessica Kellner, from Natural Home
Color Me NontoxicHealth problems at nail salons spur ecofriendly shops
by Momo Chang, from Hyphen
Mixed Media
The Songs We Don’t SingWhy we all need to make music, at any age
by Toner Quinn, from the Journal of Music
Famous Novels No One Has Ever ReadAt the Invisible Library, the fiction is really fictitious
by Alex Dimitrov, from Poets & Writers
Plus: Music, film, and book reviews
Misc:
Editor’s NoteHate, Ink.
by David Schimke
Shelf LifeThe City That Readsby Danielle Maestretti
ForwardThink Globally, Bank Locallyby Eric Utne
Dispatches from:NACLA Report on the Americas, New Internationalist, IEEE Spectrum, Developments, New Mobility, The American Prospect, The New Republic, Yes!, Peace Review, New Humanist, Technology Review, Earth Island Journal, Multinational Monitor, Science News, Search, World Literature Today, Prospect, Film Comment