From NYRB, a review of The New Cold War: Putin's Russia and the Threat to the West by Edward Lucas; a review of Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid; and Roger Cohen in eyeless in Gaza. Rotten in the state of Denmark: Was Tycho Brahe murdered by a contract killer? It’s written all over your face: To potential mates, your mug may reveal more than you think. Nobel laureate Gerald Edelman on how your brain is one-of-a-kind in the history of the universe. It's biased, gruesome, and totally compelling: How Al-Jazeera makes one American think differently about war. An except from Europe Between the Oceans, 9000 BC-AD 1000 by Barry Cunliffe. From American Sexuality, a look at how neuroscience changed the definition of "addiction" and shed light on sex addiction disorders; and an article on Goth, wannabe, and Christian sexuality. From American Diplomacy, needed: A unitary diplomatic service of the USA. A review of Elsewhere, USA: How We Got From the Company Man, Family Dinners and the Affluent Society to the Home Office, BlackBerry Moms and Economic Anxiety by Dalton Conley (and more from Bookforum). A review of Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis (and more).
