A review of The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad by Tariq Ramadan. Middle class, mainstream, murderous? Cathy Young on what the polls tell us about American Muslims. The evolution of daft ideas: Islamic creationism is growing and the movement is now repackaging ideas from reactionary American Christian groups. Senator Sam Brownback on what he thinks about evolution. An interview with Peter Irons, author of God on Trial: Dispatches from America's Religious Battlefields. Signs From God: Doree Shafrir on the curious history of church marquees.
From Skeptic, an elemental impulse: Religion is so powerful that even Soviet antireligious policy failed. A review of The Atheist Manifesto by Michel Onfray. More and more and more on God is Not Great. Christopher Hitchens debates Chris Hedges in a battle of wits and faith over the meaning of religion in our lives and politics today. A review of Forbidden Fruit: Sex & Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers.
A review of Jon Savage's Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture. Who Cares? Why young progressives should embrace charity. Why is the stock market still bullish? You can thank leveraged buyouts and corporate buy-backs of stock — and understand that this can't last. Is Wal-Mart too cheap for its own good? A confidential report concludes that the chain’s reputation for discounts has worked against its efforts to move upscale. More on Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole by Benjamin R. Barber.
A review of Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage by Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston. A review of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future By Bill McKibben. Two billion cups are sold daily in a £40bn global industry, but now a controversial documentary showing the plight of growers asks whether there is such a thing as ethical coffee.
Combining libertarianism with green values might be a pragmatic way to convince some of the worst polluters to cut back by essentially bribing them with cash. Clive Hamilton in Scorcher: the dirty politics of climate change says that Australia rather than the US is the major stumbling block to a more effective Kyoto Protocol. Energy Incrementalism: An article on a good (but not great) alternative fuel policy. A Full Tank of Hypocrisy: Higher gas prices may be the best way to slow global warming. And George Monbiot on Alexander Cockburn and the corruption of science
