Literarature: The Paris Review – Winter 2024-2025
Tag Archives: Books
Fredric Jameson on the Art of Criticism: “Ideological critique has to end up being a critique of the self. You can’t recognize an ideology unless, in some sense, you see it in yourself.”
The New York Times — Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Shock, Glee and Unease as Syrians Celebrate the Unthinkable
A day after the regime of President Bashar al-Assad fell, civilians poured into the streets of Damascus, weeping in disbelief. Many sought word of relatives held in a notorious prison on the outskirts of the city.
Daniel Penny Is Acquitted in Death of Jordan Neely on Subway
Mr. Penny choked Mr. Neely in a minutes-long struggle on the floor of an F train. The case reflected the pathologies of post-pandemic New York.
Suspect Is Charged in C.E.O.’s Murder After Arrest in Pennsylvania
Luigi Mangione was arrested after a tip from a McDonald’s in Altoona. On Monday night, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with murder.
Spying on Student Devices, Schools Aim to Intercept Self-Harm Before It Happens
New technology alerts schools when students type words related to suicide. But do the timely interventions balance out the false alarms?
The New York Times — Monday, December 9, 2024
The Campaign by Syrian Rebels to Topple Assad Was Swift
President Bashar al-Assad had kept opposition forces at bay for a decade with help from Russia and Iran. But rebels struck at a moment of weakness for those countries.
Syrians Mourn All They Have Lost, Even as They Celebrate
Thoughts of loved ones dead or missing complicate joyous relief at the prospect of Bashar al-Assad’s losing power.
Bogged Down in Ukraine, Russia Pays a Price in Syria
With the fall of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Vladimir V. Putin has suffered one of the biggest geopolitical setbacks of his quarter-century in power.
Want a Job in the Trump Administration? Be Prepared for the Loyalty Test.
Applicants for government posts, including inside the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies, say they have been asked about their thoughts on Jan. 6 and who they believe won the 2020 election.
Reviews: Best Books On Foreign Affairs Of 2024
Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
by Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman
In a revelatory book, Farrell and Newman describe how the United States has turned its control over information networks into a hidden tool of economic domination—and warn of the risks of Washington’s weaponization of data power for ordinary people, as well as for the global financial system.read the review
To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power
by Sergey Radchenko
In a major reconsideration of Cold War history, Radchenko examines the Soviet Union’s competing ambitions for revolution, security, and legitimacy—and how Soviet leadership, blinded by its own hubris and aggression, set the stage for the downfall of the USSR. read the review
Freedom From Fear: An Incomplete History of Liberalism
by Alan S. Kahan
Kahan argues that what unifies liberals across the centuries, including those involved in building and defending liberal democracy today, are their efforts to build societies free from the fear of arbitrary power. He sculpts a masterful and beautifully written history of liberalism’s long intellectual journey. read the review
Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point
by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
In this sobering study, Levitsky and Ziblatt demonstrate how the United States’ enduring constitutional order—one forged in a pre-democratic age—increasingly thwarts the will of an expanding multicultural majority in favor of a shrinking rural white minority.read the review
Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World
by Anne Applebaum
Focused on the sophisticated and networked world of autocracy, dictatorship, and tyranny, Applebaum argues that what separates hardcore autocratic states, such as China and Russia, from softer illiberal and authoritarian regimes, such as those in Hungary, India, and Turkey, is the ruthlessness and reach of their dictatorial power and their deep hostility to the Western-led democratic world.read the review
Arts & Literature Preview: Kenyon Review – Fall 2024
The New York Times — Sunday, December 8, 2024
Assad Flees Syria As Rebels Claim Damascus
Assad Has Resigned and Left Syria, Russia Says
How Notre-Dame Was Reborn
It took about 250 companies, 2,000 workers, about $900 million, a tight deadline and a lot of national pride.
The Silicon Valley Billionaires Steering Trump’s Transition
The involvement of wealthy investors has made this presidential transition one of the most potentially conflict-ridden in modern history.
Fraud and Fakery at the Country’s Largest Chain of Methadone Clinics
Acadia Healthcare falsifies records at its methadone clinics and enrolls patients who aren’t addicted to opioids, a Times investigation found.
The New York Times — Saturday, December 7, 2024
TikTok Faces U.S. Ban After Losing Bid to Overturn New Law
The law will ban the video app in the United States by Jan. 19 if its owner, ByteDance, does not sell it to a non-Chinese company.
As Syrian Rebels Advance, Iran Grows Nervous and Neighbors Close Their Borders
The rebels’ gains prompted Lebanon and Jordan to close border crossings and Iran to begin withdrawing personnel from Syria.
How One of the World’s Richest Men Is Avoiding $8 Billion in Taxes
The chief executive of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, has taken advantage of popular loopholes in the federal estate and gift taxes, which have quietly been eviscerated.
How Childhood Tragedy Shaped the Doctor Trump Picked for Surgeon General
At the age of 13, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat said she accidentally knocked over a box in a darkened room. A handgun went off, leaving her father dead.
The New York Times — Friday, December 6, 2024
Syrian Rebels Storm Another Major City
Opposition forces advanced on the city of Hama as their startling offensive moved quickly in the direction of the capital, Damascus.
Pete Hegseth’s Troubles at Work Raise Questions About Leadership
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for defense secretary led two nonprofits into debt, and episodes of drinking continued into his days as a Fox News personality.
Images of Unmasked Suspect Emerge as the Police Track C.E.O.’s Killer
The man sought in the killing of Brian Thompson wore a hood and a smile in surveillance photos. Investigators visited a hostel on the Upper West Side as they mapped his movements.
Pam Bondi’s Journey From Traditional Republican to Warrior for Trump
The president-elect’s choice for attorney general is known for her charm and fealty to him.
Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – Dec. 6, 2024
Times Literary Supplement (December 4, 2024): The latest issue features ‘HIs Other Country’ – The James Baldwin revival continues in the 100th anniversary year of his birth. A trickle of biographies has become a flood, and the causes for which he stood, racial equality and gay rights, speak to the times.
Knowing his name – Celebrating the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth
Bring back the big fish
Record-label scouts chase ‘strange compositions’
No sacred cows
A video game challenges the history of Argentina
By Mia Levitin
The Economist Magazine – December 7, 2024 Preview
America’s gambling boom should be celebrated, not feared
The gambling frenzy is mostly about people being free to enjoy themselves
France steps into deep trouble
It has no government and no budget, and is politically gridlocked
Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea should resign, or be impeached
His coup attempt was foiled. But grave tests still remain for the country
Joe Biden abused a medieval power to pardon his son
The president’s reversal is understandable, hum
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