Martin Wolf | FT | 25 May 2012 Dish of the day: The euro. "We’ve been asking, whose fault is this crisis? It was fated from the day Maastricht was signed. It might be rescuable with a higher inflation target, but the setup is fundamentally not workable" Comments Jonathan Franzen | Guardian | 25 May 2012 "I'm going to address four unpleasant questions that novelists often get asked. They're maddening not just because we hear them so often but also because, with one exception, they're difficult to answer and, therefore, worth asking" Comments Richard Dawkins | Prospect | 23 May 2012 Dawkins reviews EO Wilson's new title "The Social Conquest of Earth". He's not impressed: "To borrow from Dorothy Parker, this is not a book to be tossed lightly aside. It should be thrown with great force. And sincere regret" Comments Will Self | BBC | 25 May 2012 Against deference. And monarchy. Wonderfully put, even if you don't share the sentiments. Will Self would rather toast, and for that matter have as his head of state, the woman who used to deliver his post Comments Cam Simpson & Heather Walsh | Businessweek | 24 May 2012 The term “mad as a hatter” comes from European hatmakers in 18th century, poisoned by the mercury they used to process fur. Two hundred years later some desperate gold miners still use the toxic metal. Who sells it to them? Comments Sara Goldsmith | Slate | 22 May 2012 Wonderful piece in praise of the humble paper clip. Most everyday products — phones, books, keys — evolve over time. Not so the paper clip. Its simple 1899 design is still the one we use today. Why has it been so enduring? Comments |