Scout's Honor
A former Eagle Scout attends the National Boy Scout Jamboree, aka Jambo, held at a brand-new, $100 million scouting wonderland called The Summit.
Nathaniel Rich writes for Rolling Stone, Harper's and the New York Times Magazine. His latest novel is Odds Against Tomorrow.
"I'm drawn to obsession. I think I'm an obsessive in a way, probably most writers are. It's an obsessive act to sit at a desk by yourself."
Thanks to TinyLetter and EA SPORTS FIFA WORLD CUP for sponsoring this week's episode.
The Man Who Saves You from Yourself
Going undercover with David Sullivan, cult infiltrator.
The Sinaloa Cartel’s 90-Year-Old Drug Mule
How Leo Sharp got busted.
Murder in Miniature
One woman’s ghastly dollhouse dioramas turned crime scene investigation into a science.
Sun and Shadows
How the island paradise of Seychelles became a magnet for money launderers and tax dodgers.
Miss American Dream
Britney Spears works Vegas, bitch.
The Fight to Find John Wilkes Booth’s Diary in a Forgotten Subway Tunnel
Possible clues about Lincoln’s murder in the unlikeliest place.
Soccer, Made in America
How coach Jurgen Klinsmann, “soccer’s Alexis de Tocqueville,” is trying to give the US an identity.
"Dreams Are for Losers"
The creator of Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy offers advice to the Dartmouth class of 2014.
Nashville's Son: The Life and Death of an Indie-Rock Prince
A portrait of Ben Todd, a DIY champion of the emerging music scene in Nashville.
Andy
The author remembers his stepfather, E.B. White.
Dr. Nicholas and Mr. Hyde
The fall of billionaire Henry Nicholas, co-founder and CEO of microchip-maker Broadcom, who lost his job and his marriage amidst allegations of drug use, cooking the books, and building a secret party lair beneath the house he shared with family.
Old Terror, New Hearts
A trip to a Louisiana leper colony.
In Love with the Modern World
The early days of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "From Clay"
An American woman's travels and memories of her Russian husband.
For a daily short story recommendation from our editors, try Longform Fiction or follow @longformfiction on Twitter.
The Curse of Xanadu
Ted Nelson's Xanadu project began in 1960 and was supposed to be the universal, democratic hypertext library that would help human life evolve into an entirely new form. It didn't go that way.
Update: The software was finally, quietly released in April.
The Robots Running This Way
The surprisingly difficult work of building bots that can walk.
Local Story
How the Newtown Bee covered Sandy Hook.
Heart of the Emerald Triangle
Life on a weed farm in Humboldt County.
Why Isn’t Delonte West in the NBA?
How a bipolar diagnosis follows you from the top to the bottom of professional basketball.
Under the Boardwalk
A memoir of Santa Cruz.
Phineas Gage, Neuroscience’s Most Famous Patient
The railroad foreman’s brain was pierced by a tamping iron. He lived to tell the tale.
A Type House Divided
Inside the split of the Hoefler/Frere-Jones typography team.
Sponsored
Michael Jordan and the World He Made
The NBA Finals tipoff tonight, with LeBron James gunning for his third straight title. Unquestionably the best player in the world today, James would become one of the best of all-time with another championship.
But he'd still only be halfway to Michael Jordan.
Our latest pick from Open Road Media's archive is the greatest book ever written about the NBA's greatest player: David Halberstam's Playing for Keeps. It tells the story of Jordan's rise, his talent, his unrivaled competitiveness and how the NBA capitalized on his massive appeal.
The book is trademark Halberstam, thorough and fascinating. One of our favorite parts: the chapter on Jordan's first championship, which is available free on Longform.
Download Playing for Keeps between now and June 9 for the special price of $4.99 at Amazon, Apple or Barnes & Noble.
