How to Build a Perfect Refugee Camp
Why do Syrian civilians in a Turkish camp live in relative luxury?
Sponsored
The Longform Guide to Optimism in the Second Machine Age [Sponsor]
A collection of hopeful stories about technology curated by MIT's Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, authors of New York Times bestseller The Second Machine Age. Featuring articles by John Maynard Keynes, Clive Thompson, Garry Kasparov and more.
Why Oliver Sacks is One of the Great Modern Adventurers
The neurologist explores the mystery of hallucinations.
Chris Christie's Entire Career Reeks
“The problem with Christie isn’t merely that he is a bully. It’s that his political career is built on a rotten foundation.”
David Kushner, a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, has written for The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired and The Atavist.
"The minute you see an incredible character, you know. The only thing I can compare it to is bowling, not that I'm much of a bowler. On the few times I've thrown a strike, you know it before it hits the pins."
Thanks to TinyLetter and ProFlowers for sponsoring this week's episode.
In the Darkness of Dick Cheney
“And yet we live still in Cheney’s world. All around us are the consequences of those decisions.”
Can Wendy Davis Have It All?
A tale of ambition, motherhood and political mythmaking in the race for governor of Texas.
How Colleges Flunk Mental Health
An investigtion into higher education’s treatment, and often punishment, of mentally ill students.
Sponsored
Sponsor: "The Second Machine Age"
Our sponsor this week is The Second Machine Age, the New York Times bestseller that Kevin Kelly calls "the best explanation of the technology revolution yet written."
From Google's autonomous cars to machines that can diagnose diseases more accurately than doctors, MIT's Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee—two thinkers at the forefront of their field—reveal the forces driving the reinvention of our lives and our economy. Drawing on years of research and up-to-the-minute trends, Brynjolfsson and McAfee identify the best strategies for survival and offer a new path to prosperity.
A fundamentally optimistic book, The Second Machine Age will alter how you think about issues of technological, societal, and economic progress.
Buy your copy today:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iBookstore • Indiebound • Powell's
The Patron and the Panhandler
Fifty years after Joseph Mitchell published “Joe Gould’s Secret” in The New Yorker, one last question about Gould—the identity of his anonymous benefactor—is answered.
How The Beatles Went Viral
In the Winter of 1964, the Fab Four rocket to superstardom in just six weeks.
Prying Eyes
Photographer Trevor Paglen makes art out of government secrets.
Hear Jonah Weiner discuss this article on the Longform Podcast.
The Longform Guide to Loners
Chris McCandless, Ida Wood, Sly Stone and more—a collection of stories that go inside the lives of outsiders.</p>
Who Killed Gonzalo Ramirez?
In 1995, Ramirez allegedly raped Patricia Esparza. He was tortured and killed weeks later. Now she’s charged with his murder. Is she responsible?
Saving eBay
How a small team of 20-somethings helped spark a $50 billion turnaround.
What’s the Point If We Can’t Have Fun?
Humans play. So do animals. Perhaps that’s why we’re all here.
"The Eagle Has Landed"
The behind-the-scenes story of how NFL prospect Michael Sam came out.
Young, Loud, and Snotty
A barely drinking-age Green Day profiled shortly after the release of Dookie.
India’s Golden Chance
How the next generation of Indian women could break the country’s cycle of early motherhood and forced marriage.
The Sochi Project
Since 2007, when they first heard that “the Florida of Russia” was being awarded the Winter Olympics, two Dutch journalists have been documenting everyday life in Sochi and how it has changed in the run-up to the Games.
The Big Book of Black Quarterbacks
The stories of the 109 black men who have played quarterback in the NFL, from Fritz Pollard to Russell Wilson.
Interview: Philip Glass
“When society becomes unhinged, the arts get really good.”
Deep Inside Baz Luhrmann’s Creative Chaos
In between projects, the director searches for “that next soul-nourishing gig.”
Playboy Interview: The Beatles
On fame, making money and agnosticism.
Remember This
Inside the minds of two people, one with the world’s best memory and one with the world’s worst.
