Story Archives of 'Books'

We begin today much further north on the Arctic coast. A place that has long existed in the human imagination as vast, uninhabitable… A frozen wasteland very far away.

The Arctic was largely unxplored until the mid 19th century and uncharted until the early 20th. Today, rising global temperatures have glaciers retreating and ice packs melting. While some say this bodes global disaster, others see access to vast ocean resources and shipping routes opening up like cracks in the Arctic ice.

As analysts predict how many billion barrels of oil could be hidden under the ice, a handful of countries are positioning themselves for a land grab. That scramble and other consequences of an accessible North Pole could determine The Future History of the Arctic. That’s the title of a new book by Charles Emmerson, he’s a geopolitics expert who uses his fascination, reporting and reflection to put the current Arctic challenge into historical context.

Financial Times: The Future History of the Arctic

Winnipeg Free Press: Warming opens Arctic to political tension

The Independent: Love in a cold climate: A life-long obsession with the Arctic

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Many of us have had the frustration of living with an ailment that doctors couldn’t diagnose or properly treat. But novelist Siri Hustvedt has had this experience in the extreme. One day, speaking before a small crowd, Hustvedt suddenly began shaking violently, flailing and flapping her arms.

That incident – during which she remained, strangely, coherent – started her on a long journey to figure out what was wrong with her. She’s now written a book that explores the experience of losing control of one’s body and trying, through knowledge, to regain control.

Part memoir, part scientific exploration, The Shaking Woman weaves Hustvedt’s personal quest with an investigation into the workings of the brain. Siri Hustvedt joined us today to tell us what she learned about the mysterious places where body and mind intersect– and how she learned to live with her mysterious condition.

Guardian UK: The Shaking Woman by Siri Hustvedt

According to the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers placed a high premium on the pursuit of happiness as a guiding value in our democracy. In the last 40 years, much thought, energy and research has gone into the question of what makes us happy. Many Americans would point to money as the source of satisfaction while others cite love, friendship, family and health. But government and politics don't immediately spring to mind when we talk about personal happiness.

Today, as part of NHPR's week-long series on Governance, Word of Mouth examines how politics might contribute to our happiness as a society. The same lawmakers that practice endless wrangling, political manipulation and, occassionally, unethical and, sometimes, illegal activity could restructure government with an eye toward greater societal happiness. To tell us how is Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University and author of the new book, The Politics of Happiness.

New York Times: Joy To The World

Public Policy Communicators of New York City:
Recommended Reading: The Politics of Happiness

Derek Bok's Graduation Speech at Harvard University

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Now we delve into some of the deeper philosophical and moral questions raised by the novel. And look at how lawyers view its hero, Atticus Finch, the character who, says former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, has inspired many to pursue a career in law.

Oh, to be an Atticus! What does that mean, exactly? As a human? A father? An attorney? As a rational being? Noelle Poremski is a senior at Saint Anselm’s College, majoring in philosophy. Noelle is also helping to organize events for the Big Read initiative at the New Hampshire State Library’s Center for the Book.

Jonathan Cohen is a criminal defense attorney of the firm Cohen & Winters in Concord.

Katherine Cooper is the executive director at the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

The Wire NH: Presumptions of guilt

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