Goodbye to All That: Why Obama Matters
Is Iraq Vietnam? Who really won in 2000? Which side are you on in the culture wars? These questions have divided the Baby Boomers and distorted our politics. One candidate could transcend them.
December 2007
In This Issue
Andrew Sullivan on why Obama matters, and more.
Features
Teacher and Apprentice
Hillary Clinton tried to teach Barack Obama about power, but then he got ideas of his own. A story of nasty surprises, dueling war rooms, and the Drudge Report
How Hollywood Saved God
It took five years, two screenwriters, and 0 million to turn a best-selling antireligious children’s book into a star-studded epic—just in time for Christmas.
Scents & Sensibility
How the author helped Afghans build a thriving soap and body-oil business—and overcame the incompetence of America’s aid establishment [Web only: Slideshow: "Everyday Afghanistan"]
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Housebound
Why homeownership may be bad for America
Calendar
Facebook for spies; long live the queen; the 0,150 handbag
Primary Sources
Pre-seniors on the march; have-not nation; do gamers dream of electric abs?
Striking Al-Qaeda’s New Base
The Atlantic recently asked a group of foreign-policy authorities about the United States, al-Qaeda, and Pakistan.
Bright Lights, Big Cities
Slums are burgeoning worldwide— and that’s a good thing.
Google’s Tar Pit
Can Google “not be evil” and still fend off the government?
Overdose
The health-care crisis no candidate is addressing? Too many doctors
Books
Charm Offensive
Editor’s Choice: Womanizer, bribe-taker, statesman—the cynically brilliant Talleyrand inspired an equally colorful biographer.
A Bright Shining Lie
It’s the most critically acclaimed novel of the fall. And it’s astonishingly bad.
Faster, Faster
Noël Coward’s dizzying life
The Courtier
Arthur Schlesinger’s journals are predictably sycophantic—and surprisingly good.
Cover to Cover
A guide to additional releases
Among the Pandas
Our cub reporter exposes China’s soft underbelly. [Web only: Slideshow: "Panda Land"]
The Magic Brewing Machine
Cool new coffeemakers bring out the deeper pleasures of a light roast.
Rightsize Me
Why sending a man to the moon is easier than finding jeans that fit
Radio Free Everywhere
Move over, iPod: Internet radio captures the enduring magic of the medium and makes the local global.
The Pleasure Principle
Newspapers should try giving readers what they want, not just what editors think they need.
Word Fugitives
Cringe benefits; mastering drykwondo
