From LRB, a review of The Civil War and the Limits of Destruction by Mark Neely and This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust (and more from Bookforum). A review of Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality by Manjit Kumar. Can cities save the planet? Scientists are skeptical, planners are hopeful, the Dutch are pragmatic. Adam Zeman's A Portrait of the Brain is a detailed study of the organ's workings. A new breed of urban Catholic high school asks disadvantaged kids to work for their tuition. The Peanuts cartoons are a universal pleasure, as well as a portrait of one man and his marriage. Carlin Romano reviews Political Hypocrisy by David Runciman. From Open Source, Rick Moody is in the Obama Moment. Just because Obama won a landslide doesn't mean our voting system has been fixed. Secession we can believe in: How Obama-esque activists are remaking the Vermont separatist movement. Choosing not to choose: Ever feel lost in a maze of too many options? Here's how one man let indecision be his friend. A review of Transformations: Identity Construction in Contemporary Culture by Grant McCracken. A review of Beef: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World by Andrew Rimas and Evan D. G. Fraser. Take the test: How happy are you?
