Category: Book of the Week

January 5, 2016

By Way of Beginning

Read an excerpt from “By Way of Beginning,” the first chapter of WITH DOGS AT THE EDGE OF LIFE, by Colin Dayan, in which Dayan tells the story of Leon Rosby’s Rottweiler, Max, and explains what she hopes to accomplish in her book.

December 18, 2015

Sacred Knowledge: Hopkins Playlist for Psilocybin Studies

The author of Sacred Knowledge provides the playlist used for psilocybin research.

December 17, 2015

Sacred Knowledge: The Mystical Experience Questionnaire

The Mystical Experience Questionnaire is a crucial document that the author of Sacred Knowledge uses in his research.

December 16, 2015

Mysterious Molecules: The Sacred Knowledge of Entheogens

The ideas and background of Sacred Knowledge are explored in a New Yorker feature, a Guardian interview, and an author essay for Powell’s.

December 15, 2015

One Discovery of Transcendence – William Richards, "Sacred Knowledge"

An excerpt from Sacred Knowledge recounts William Richards’ first encounter with psychedelic mystical consciousness.

December 11, 2015

The Truth About Chicago’s Crime Rates — Best American Magazine Writing 2015

“If a number makes people feel safe, then why not give it to them?”—A Chicago police officer Recent events have shone a light on the Chicago police department and the ways in which they fail to share information with the...

December 10, 2015

Evan Ratliff on the Best American Magazine Writing of 2015

“Great writers will keep finding the wherewithal to chase the bold ideas, and great editors will keep finding ways to say yes.”—Evan Ratliff The following is an excerpt from Evan Ratliff’s introduction to The Best American Magazine Writing 2015: Now,...

December 9, 2015

Laborers Who Keep Beheadings Out of Your Facebook Feed — Best Business Writing 2015

An excerpt from The Best Business Writing 2015 examines how social media sites are moderated.

December 8, 2015

Dean Starkman on the Current State of Business Journalism

“This collection of brilliant journalism … is a testament to business journalism’s resilience in an age of extreme disruption in its own business — media — and to the fact that the business-news ocean is vast and full of unexpected...

December 4, 2015

The Resurgence of American Orientalism — Brian T. Edwards

We conclude our week-long feature of “After the American Century: The Ends of U.S. Culture in the Middle East,” with an excerpt from the book’s epilogue, “Embracing Orientalism in the Homeland.”

December 3, 2015

Shrek in Casablanca, Ben Affleck in Tehran: American Culture in Middle East Circulation

In this video, Brian Edwards, author of “After the American Century,” discusses the circulation of U.S. culture in the contemporary Middle East.

December 2, 2015

Why Culture? — Brian Edwards, Author of "After the American Century"

Brian Edwards argues that an understanding of how culture is produced and consumed is crucial to understanding contemporary geopolitics.