From Open Democracy, Daniele Archibugi describes an agenda to return the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to relevance; and why is Russia romanticising the memory of Stalinism, when its defining feature was the use of terror? A review of American Therapy: The Rise of Psychotherapy in the United States by Jonathan Engel. The DSM-V is at least three years away from publication, but it is already stirring bitter debates over a new set of possible psychiatric disorders. Some point to Alan Greenspan, but his hands-off approach to the economy originated with Ayn Rand. It’s a novel! It’s a philosophy! It’s the instruction manual for a crazy cult! Atlas Shrugged could be all of those things. Whether the fairy tale has flourished in popular culture, or been diluted and diminished by global branding, is a question raised by a range of new books on the genre. Independent bookstores have been struggling to survive ever since the advent of the chain stores — but now, even the chains are under threat. An excerpt from Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill. An excerpt from Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy by Martin Lindstrom. A review of The Star as Icon: Celebrity in the Age of Mass Consumption by Daniel Herwitz. When celebs take charge: Today's politicians have to know what narrative the world wants to hear. An article on Deep Throat's legacy to journalism.
