From The American Scholar, an essay on The Art of Literature and the Science of Literature: The delight we get from detecting patterns in books, and in life, can be measured and understood; The Liberal Imagination of Frederick Douglass: Honoring the emotions that give life to liberal principles; passing the torch: Why the eons-old truce between humans and fire has burst into an age of megafires, and what can be done about it; and an article on the lessons of likeness: being a true history of Thomas Eakins’ Portrait of Walt Whitman (with an added three-percent of narrative speculation). The introduction to The Roman Predicament: How the Rules of International Order Create the Politics of Empire by Harold James (and a review). Physicist Michio Kaku believes our planet is doomed and is working on an escape route for humans — but he's no pessimist. From Spiked, a review of The Politics of Chaos in the Middle East by Olivier Roy, and a review of Framing Post-Cold War Conflicts: The Media and International Intervention by Philip Hammond. A look at the top ten craziest things John McCain has said while you weren't watching. A review of French Laughter: Literary Humour From Diderot to Tournier by Walter Redfern. Timothy Garton Ash on why a historic compromise with France is exactly what Britain needs. Does evolution explain why we hate to pay more for scarce goods?
