Every ego demands clarity about itself / and the other. No labyrinth gives us clues / that allow us to decipher / where we are and who we are. *—*Carlota Caulfield “Temple of Epigrams” from A Mapmaker’s Diary (2007) Nicolas Dubet... Read More

Most conservation efforts appeal to ethics or emotion. It’s not often the argument is made to save an animal or a plant because it’s tasty, but that is exactly the consumer/gut driven conservation message of the Renewing America’s... Read More

Although the title of this book may sound like a gossip-filled episode of True Hollywood Story, it’s actually a thoughtful look at the conflicted life of one of the world’s least respected, most talented tenors. The author, a... Read More

Contrary to the adult view of bullies, in which one lone playground bully torments one victim, the author reports that three out of four elementary school children say they are either victims of bullies or bullies themselves. With such a... Read More

Movie stars hire publicity agents and managers, but surely geniuses don’t. Yet Albert Einstein had one, in function if not in title. Helen Dukas helped shape Einstein’s image as the saintly old man we remember today. This massive... Read More

“At least half of all people die early because of illnesses caused by lifestyle choices, dietary factors and behavioral patterns,” states the author, adding that it is never too late to make a change. Cancer is a frightening topic... Read More

“It has been our experience that reading is … itself a creative act-mysterious and fluctuating, alternately baffled and rapt, questioned and questioning: like writing.” So the editors introduce this collection of essays on reading... Read More

In an early journal, John Muir listed his address as “Earth-planet, Universe.” His interests, beyond the American wilderness he defended so staunchly, included the Amazon, the planned destination of his youthful 1,000-mile walk... Read More