The Vault

From 2010: A lawyer breaks a social taboo by writing about her painful disconnect from the world

Curiosity, humour and also a touch of impudence will liven up your dinner party

How the common reflex is dangerous—and even deadly

Think no one’s noticed you routinely send back the wine? Or that you filched the pepper grinder? Think again.

In a wealthy suburb, a writer discovers people who take celebrating to a whole new level

An architect’s lofty vision for a structure often doesn’t survive once real people use it

From 2009: It is hard to believe, but not every Catholic priest is a pedophile

A guide to reviving the dinner party, by two anti-hosts who’ve wowed some 1,800 guests

An economist explains why you shouldn’t buy gifts

From 2009: The really important thing, according to this professional, is to ‘get inside a cat’s mind’