Category Archives: Book Reviews

The Future of Ethics

Let me ask a provocative question — do our ethics change over time? Consider — about a third of the population of ancient Rome consisted of slaves, but today we know slavery is wrong. Also, at one time, birth control was illegal in this country, but today it’s an accepted, even encouraged, practice. The same

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The Women Who Fought Back

Why is it the positive news never seems to get mentioned? For example, everyone learns about the Holocaust, and I know there were extraordinarily brave people who risked their lives and saved many from the Holocaust, but I can never remember being told about organized Jewish resistance. And yet there was. One such example is

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Foods We Love to Death

What is your favorite food? (I have a pretty long list.) Now what would you think if it was no longer available? This has actually happened before. A piece on The Atlantic magazine’s website claims we have eaten thousands of species into extinction;  passenger pigeon pie used to be a common comfort food (https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/11/foods-humans-ate-extinction/601573/). And

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The Power of the Human Brain

What are the limits of the human brain? Although at times, mine seems pretty limited, some amazing feats of memory and cognition have been recorded over the years. For example,  Daniel Paul Tammet, who was born on this day in London in 1979, holds the European record for reciting pi from memory. Recall that pi

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Are You Looking For A Book?

From the “I Wish I Could Write Like That Department” — If all the social restrictions have gotten you down, one remedy is to read an entertaining book. Helpfully, the February 1/8 2021 issue of Time magazine includes a “Winter Survival Guide” with 11 books suggestions under the heading “Voices to Lighten the Mood” (page

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More From Jim Korkis

Recently I mentioned that Disney author/historian Jim Korkis has released two new books —  Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition and Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line. From the Embarrassment of Riches Department — Jim is also releasing  Secret Stories of EXTINCT Walt Disney World. Like so much of our lives today, it was

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