BooksThe trouble with austerity nostalgiaOwen Hatherley’s book on why we keep calm and carry on with our fake, troubling nostalgia
BooksA dream-like critique of post-Soviet RussiaSergei Lebedev’s debut novel deploys surrealism and poetry as he ventures into the Gulag, seeking answers
Arts(Arcade) Fire and water: How to make music from ocean wavesArcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry stunning musical piece made from ocean wave patterns gets its North American debut
BooksCorrecting a simplistic view of the SovietsThe Maisky Diaries provides a rare glimpse into Stalin’s Soviet Union
BooksWhy there is No Such Thing as A Free GiftThe Gates Foundation and its ‘philanthrocapitalists’ should worry us
BooksMuch more than another book about the Hindenburg disasterBook review: A history of illogical yet out-of-control engineering, from the Superconducting Super Collider to the Zeppelin
CultureMozart meets ’Married At First Sight’: a fix for opera?If we can have opera as funny and contemporary as ’A Little Too Cozy’—’Cosi fan tutti,’ get it?—who needs Mozart at all?
CultureCapitalism and bureaucracy: not sworn enemies after all?David Graeber’s dense analysis is inspiring and full of surprising facts
BooksThe age-old hunt for Atlantis: Book reviewActually, Atlantis has been found several times, but you can’t say that if you’re writing a book about looking for it.