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Opinion
Whistling 'Dixie'
A new book reconstructs the context and mood that made Dallas a hub of far-right activism in the late 1950s and early '60s, writes Scott McLemee, shedding light on the political landscape today.
Opinion
Turn and Face the Strange
Some people lived through early discussions of postmodernism and performativity, says Scott McLemee, thinking it sounded like David Bowie, minus the genius.
Opinion
Germ Warfare
Hugh Pennington's new book, Have Bacteria Won?, goes straight to the heart of a growing public anxiety, writes Scott McLemee.
Opinion
Wikipedia at 15
Celebrate or hate it as you will, writes Scott McLemee, Wikipedia has metamorphosed from its beginnings as a gangly cultural interloper into the de facto reference work of first resort.
Opinion
His Brother's Keeper
In a new memoir, the brother of the Unabomber tries to make sense of his own past in the context of acts of violence utterly disconnected from his own memories, writes Scott McLemee.
Opinion
A Dog's Life
Colin Dayan's With Dogs at the Edge of Life is the work of a mind that slips the leash of genre or narrow specialization at every opportunity, writes Scott McLemee.
Opinion
War on Christmas: The Prequel
Early campaigns to abolish the holiday form a largely forgotten chapter in American history, writes Scott McLemee.
Opinion
'Mad Men' Unzipped
A new academic book on the AMC series is a good conversation starter about the condition of "being a fan" in the everyday, typical sense, writes Scott McLemee.