From 'The Giver' to 'Twilight,' Young Adult Fiction Helps Teens Grow Up
Several stories in the genre grapple with what it means for young people to take on adult responsibilities
Why Casey Anthony Made Prime Time
While Americans fixated on this trial, they ignored thousands of other murder cases
The Ethics of Paying for Sex, Revisited
An ex-prostitute reviews a john's memoir for The New York Times
Tzipi Livni on Why Israel Needs a Constitution
The head of Israel's Kadima Party argues that a unifying document could protect the country's Arabs even if they aren't involved in its writing
The Wealth (and Happiness) of Nations
Two economists debate whether richer countries are truly more content
Stephen Breyer on Staying Above Politics
Judges may be human, says the associate justice of the Supreme Court, but that doesn't mean they're swayed by the public or the president
Thomas Friedman on Egypt's 'Martyrs for Democracy'
The New York Times columnist explains what young Arabs are fighting for and why their leaders are as good as gone
An Optimist's View of WikiLeaks
The scandal revealed that the media and the government aren't in such bad shape after all
Biz Stone on Twitter's Independence
One of Twitter's famed cofounders explains why he was underwhelmed by a recent call from a State Department representative
David Axelrod on the Bin Laden Joke Obama Never Told
Obama's former advisor recalls the hours just before the long-hunted terrorist's death
Hanna Rosin: Crowded House
From 20-something kids to aging grandparents, everyone's moving back in with Mom and Dad
David Leonhardt on 'Momism'
The New York Times columnist argues that despite advances in equality, the workplace still makes women pay too high a price for motherhood
Biz Stone Isn't So Sure About Twitter's Cozy Relationship With the State Department
One of Twitter's co-founders doesn't want the technology to be seen as a tool for diplomacy
Sandra Day O'Connor: "I Couldn't Get a Job in a Law Firm"
O'Connor blends professional experience with personal conviction to explain why she opposes judicial elections
Melody Barnes: Why a Struggling Economy Needs Immigrants
Obama's domestic policy advisor makes the case for welcoming newcomers to the table during lean times
Will Digital Reading Entirely Replace Print?
In our "Question of the Day" feature for this year's Ideas Special Report, our readers tackle some of the emerging issues defining our time
J.K. Rowling's New Pottermore Site Will Change Digital Publishing
Pottermore will be the only place fans can buy Potter in a digital format, a method of distribution Rowling has avoided for years
The Only Solution to the Budget Mess: Raising Revenue, Not Taxes
This statement, explained: "We're okay with raising revenue, but not taxes."
How to Land Your Kid in Therapy
Why the obsession with our kids’ happiness may be dooming them to unhappy adulthoods. A therapist and mother reports.
The Triumph of New-Age Medicine
Medicine has long decried acupuncture, homeopathy, and the like as dangerous nonsense that preys on the gullible. Again and again, carefully controlled studies have shown alternative medicine to work no better than a placebo. But now many doctors admit that alternative medicine often seems to do a better job of making patients well, and at a much lower cost, than mainstream care—and they’re trying to learn from it.
The Brain on Trial
Advances in brain science are calling into question the volition behind many criminal acts. A leading neuroscientist describes how the foundations of our criminal-justice system are beginning to crumble, and proposes a new way forward for law and order.