James Fallows assesses the debating skills of McCain and Obama; Joshua Green offers a look at some revealing Hillary Clinton campaign memos; Lisa Margonelli on how termites could save us from global warming; Robert D. Kaplan on Burma; Caitlin Flanagan reflects on Patty Hearst's kidnapping and '70s-era Berkeley; Christopher Hitchens on Norman Mailer; Andrew Sullivan on gay marriage; Corby Kummer tries cooking school in the Greek Islands; and much more.
Who will win the presidential debates? What does each candidate’s use of words say about how he would govern as president? Can Obama’s rhetorical skills lift him to the heights of Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan—or will his speechmaking do him in? After watching all 47 (!) of the primary season’s debates, our correspondent has the answers—and some harsh criticism for the moderators.
Obama and McCain both say they want to usher in a new, less divisive brand of politics. Which of them has the better chance? Is bipartisanship still possible?
Hillary Clinton’s campaign was undone by a clash of personalities more toxic than anyone imagined. E-mails and memos—published here for the first time—reveal the backstabbing and conflicting strategies that produced an epic meltdown.
The termite’s stomach, of all things, has become the focus of large-scale scientific investigations. Could the same properties that make the termite such a costly pest help us solve global warming? [Web only: Video: "How to Hunt for Termites"]
As China and India vie for power and influence, Burma has become a strategic battleground. Four Americans with deep ties to this fractured, resource-rich country illuminate its current troubles, and what the U.S. should do to shape its future.
What’s the difference between homosexuals and heterosexuals? In matters outside the bedroom, American culture and law are at last acknowledging that there is none.
Slightly Older Kids on the Block; marriage by decree; Harry Potter bares all
Dread Pirate bin Laden; more than five for fighting; schizo in Gitmo
How scarcity, affluence, and biofuel production are wreaking havoc on food prices
How preparations for tomorrow’s satellite wars could ruin life as we know it today
Editor’s Choice: A new book showcases the jewelry of Ted Muehling, whose earnest, untrendy work reaches the height of stylishness.
How Patty Hearst’s kidnapping reflected and ravaged American culture in the 1970s
Norman Mailer’s political journal of the summer of ‘68
A guide to additional releases: How the Reds won Russia; food in the Depression; Nigeria's oil curse; and more
The places in and around London that shaped the naturalist as a young man
A cooking school in the Greek islands shows that simplicity plus necessity equals great cuisine. [Web only: Slideshow: "The Grecian Formula"]
Wrong time to write right; expressing discretion
