Brilliant issue of The Atlantic this month (October). Pressed for time and with so much to do, I meant to just skim it and chuck it, but was foiled by one great article after another. From efforts to influence the weather (Riders on the Storm), to the role of genetics in producing kindness (The Selfless Gene – see excerpt under World tab), to the spoils awarded the Pakistani military (After Musharraf), to an evaluation of social-networking media (About Facebook), there’s enough here to keep one engaged the better part of a day. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I came for a snack and was treated to a banquet.
I’ve been subscribing to The Atlantic for seven or eight years now. In contrast to other periodicals I receive, I’ve never given any thought to letting my subscription lapse (on the contrary, I’ve given subscriptions as gifts to family). Writers I’ve enjoyed reading in the magazine’s pages include William Langewiesche (now writing for Vanity Fair), Joshua Hammer, Christopher Hitchens, and James Fallows. There’s often a long, fascinating piece set in a developing nation. This month it’s Pakistan, while previous months have included China, The Philippines, and Nigeria. Every issue is then topped off with a clever full-page homage to language by Barbara Wallraff.
You can check out The Atlantic at its website. There you’ll find the stories I’ve mentioned and many more not found in the October issue. Bon appétit.
