From Reason, an article on the unfortunate case of Herbert Spencer: How a libertarian individualist was recast as a social Darwinist. A review of Herbert Spencer and the Invention of Modern Life by Mark Francis. An article on the myth of the toss-up election. From Scientific American, sleep on it: How snoozing makes you smarter; and making decisions tires your brain: The brain is like a muscle — when it gets depleted, it becomes less effective. If you set aside the incomparable cruelty and stupidity of human beings, surely our most persistent and irrational activity is to sleep. A review of Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton. From Intelligent Life, for the first time, the most interesting architect is a woman, Zaha Hadid (and a look at what she's up against). From Edge, Mark Pesce on hyperpolitics, American style. Independence fray: Does Vermont have what it takes to go it alone? Paul Wolfowitz reviews The Return of History and the End of Dreams by Robert Kagan. Peter Steinfels on uncertainties about the role of doubt in religion. A look at why Islam is unfunny for a cartoonist. Seven years into the war against al Qa’eda, Fawaz Gerges finds the experts deeply divided on the shape and strength of the enemy. Restrictions on foreigners cause a greater loss of wages than racial and sexual discrimination – perhaps greater even than slavery.
