From McSweeney's, in September 1901, Leon Czolgosz ruined almost any chance you have of high-fiving the leader of the free world; and Socrates and Glaucon on the Home Shopping Network. The Genius of QVC: How the shopping network became one of the most effective retailing machines ever invented. A review of books on silence. Southern Sudan wonders how to brand itself; how do you name a nation? An interview with Philip Carr-Gomm, author of A Brief History of Nakedness. Scott Indrisek reviews Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett. The origins of the Red State–Blue State divide: A review of The War between the State and the Family: How Government Divides and Impoverishes by Patricia Morgan. If you want to find stable two-parent families, bypass Palin country and go to Pelosi territory: Naomi Cahn and June Carbone on their book Red Families v. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of Culture (and more). It has long been said that travel "broadens the mind"; now new evidence proves that jumping on a plane will not only make you smarter, but more open-minded and creative. A review of The Titanic Awards: Celebrating the Worst of Travel by Doug Lansky. A look at 7 people who won the lottery and did something really stupid. A review of Lunatic Express: Discovering the World Via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains and Planes by Carl Hoffman. Is Amanda Knox being railroaded by the Italian judicial system and a prosecutor who might soon be on his way to jail himself? From Smithsonian, a look at the ten most disturbing scientific discoveries. From Mother Jones, how Glenn Beck and other right-wing talkers turned paranoia into a pitch for Goldline, the gold dealer one congressman says is conspiring to "cheat consumers".
