Linkeragerie
And this week's conferral of the It's Always More Complicated Award I think probably goes to David Aaronovitch for what sounds here (and in the other review I read in something probably not yet accessible online) like an excellent book about conspiracy theories in history, Voodoo History.
A S Byatt suggests that Ibsen's Nora is far from an admirable character, but isn't that the point? that she undergoes a maturational process about the world outside her head comparable to that of Gwendolen Harleth in Daniel Deronda?
Okay, it's only a picture-book, but I'm still a bit 'Huh?' about a book featuring naked mole-rats which appears egregiously to ignore the fact that they are a matriarchal species and makes 'their oldest and wisest' Grand-Pah. Pah, I say, and also Pshaw.
Jeremy Paxman on reference works and the differences between the ODNB online and in physical format: 'a reference book's capacity for serendipity will score over the web every time': but on the other hand if you want just quickly to check someone's dates and career details, the online version scores. He's a bit snotty about what counts as Truly Historically Important in the selection. He also doesn't mention the sometimes extremely bizarre matching of biographer to subject: I was horrified yesterday to see that Alice Stewart was 'done' by her longtime antagonist Sir Richard Doll, a mean feat achieved by outliving her.
Epidemic dance: this is surely not the first book on this, but it sounds interesting nonetheless.
Lucy Mangan's children's bookshelf: this week, for the rather younger reader, Joan Robinson's Teddy Robinson, whom I remember vaguely - possibly being read to my sister or brother rather than myself. Presumably a different Joan Robinson from the eminent Cambridge school economist...
Ben Goldacre: current flu drugs not miracle cure, but still better than nothing (runner-up for IAMC award of the week, perhaps). On a related subject, James Randerson fulminates about the continuing consequences of the MMR canard.
Ian Jack reminds us that many famous writers of the past did not make a living at it and had day-jobs.
A C Grayling on the difference between knowledge and intelligence and how testable the latter is.
Our new Poet Laureate: Carol Ann Duffy herself on her appointment, news report, Mark Lawson on the possible benefit to the 'cultural health of the nation'.
And in associated women poet news, I am unable to find the link to the obituary of U A Fanthorpe: another late-blooming career.
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