By Amber Short. I’ve always loved books, and thanks to my mother, was lucky enough to be reading fluently before hitting grade school. They have shaped the way that I view myself, and in turn, the world. Read the full story

By Daniel Francis. In the autumn of 1919 the New York Times invited Stephen Leacock to write a series of articles presenting his views on the current political situation, in particular the challenge to the status quo being offered by the radical left. Read the full story

By Gwynne Hunt. When I was young, I was really poor. The question begs of course, how poor were you? I traded punch lines with a lot of people of over the years. “I was so poor we rode cockroaches to school’, or ‘I was so poor, blah blah blah” Read the full story

Magazines have been responsible for some of the best writing. The following are suggestions for the best magazine articles (in English) ever. Stars denote how many times a correspondent has suggested it. The article comes from KK Cooltools. Read the full story

By Stan Persky. Three top US economists say nothing’s really been fixed. But where’s the political will to do what’s needed? One of the many disquieting things about the Great Recession that began in 2008 is how much the theory and practice of “business as usual” survived intact Read the full story

By Mike Archer. Simon Sebag Montefiore’s two new books on Stalin reveal perhaps the strangest aspect of the tyrant’s rule. Through even the greatest depth of the Terror Stalin and his henchmen maintained convivial family friendships. Read the full story

By Megan Stewart. If the rain derailed your commitment to cycle to work at least one day this week, make up for it by reading about the pleasures — radical and mechanical, physical and mental — of bicycling through the rest of the year. Read the full story

By Amber Short. There is something wonderful about a bookstore cat. While the origin of this tradition is unclear, as one of our customers put it, “Bookstores and cats go together like oceans and salt.” There is a natural fit between the relaxing and browse-able atmosphere Read the full story

UPDATED 06/02/10 – COMMENTS RECEIVED – By Doreen Jung. Released in March 2010, “Choosing to Smile” is a book written by three friends who have done battle with cancer and who have achieved amazing victories.[Click On Image For Full Story] Read the full story

UPDATED 05/22/10 – COMMENTS RECEIVED – By Amber Short. I’m a philosophical sort, and in my opinion, one cannot judge a book by its cover. I’ll delve into books with tattered and outdated covers with relish, and am more concerned with having a good recommendation or review to base my choices on. Read the full story