At first glance, Xi’an, China, with its army of terracotta warriors, and Pisa, Italy, with its famously leaning tower, seem to have little in common. But they share one notable characteristic: both cities, along with three hundred and... Read More

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then Americans’ standards of what’s desirable are only skin deep. That merging of clichés summarizes this collection of scholarly essays on skin color and its effect on societal norms in the... Read More

Her own Southern sex scandal prompted the author to investigate the secret sex lives of others in her native Dixie. Through interviews, undercover romps at strip clubs, a sex toy party, a drag pageant, and bondage events, Parker... Read More

“I don’t have enough time” has become a common excuse for busy Americans. It’s the reason people skip exercise, rarely share family meals, miss a child’s school play, bypass volunteer activities, eat fast food, and hire pet... Read More

Since the halcyon days of filmmaking in the forties and early fifties, Hollywood films have become synonymous with vacuous and unimaginative production and direction. Except for a short period from 1968 to roughly 1975, films from the... Read More

During the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush accused Al Gore of being “a thinker.” His reproach of the wonkish Vice President seemed to score points with the electorate. Why? Isn’t thinking a quality Americans would... Read More

The year 1964 may have seemed quiet compared to those that followed, but several events-the Civil Rights Act and protests, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, a divisive presidential campaign, and the national mourning of the assassinated... Read More

Computer keyboards could be different, as could the conventional Western toilet. The author wants to know how and why these objects and others came to be the way they are. For Molotch, holder of a joint appointment as professor of... Read More