Fascinating Stories from History
Book Review
The Problems with Polls
Political polling’s greatest achievement is its complete co-opting of our understanding of public opinion, which we can no longer imagine without it.
Origin Story
The Vanishing Hitchhiker Legend Is an Ancient Tale That Keeps Evolving
The classic creepy story—a driver offers a lift to a stranger who is not of this world—has deep roots and a long reach.
Book Excerpt
Pilsner Goes to America: How Beer Got Big in the 19th Century
On the transatlantic development of pilsners and lagers from Central Europe to the Americas.
Book Excerpt
The Deep Religious Roots of American Economics
Any attempt to understand the complexities of American economic thought without considering the significant role of religious beliefs is incomplete.
Digital History
Batting by the Numbers
The evolution of baseball’s perfect lineup.
Book Review
The Woman Who Would Be Steinbeck
John Steinbeck beat Sanora Babb to the great American Dust Bowl novel—using her field notes. What do we owe her today?
Comment
The US’s Long History of Destabilizing Iran
Kamala Harris called Iran a “destabilizing, dangerous force.” The appropriate context for this is the US’s own decades-long history of destabilizing Iran.