ARTICLES
Clear thinking
Review of Steven Pinker’s “Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters”
New York Times, 31 October 2021
Nice to meet you?
Review of Malcolm Gladwell’s “Talking to Strangers”
New York Times, 6 October 2019
How we got to be so self-absorbed: the long story
Review of Will Storr’s “Selfie”
New York Times, 1 July 2018
The rake’s progress
While earning his reputation, Casanova rubbed elbows with a Who’s Who of 18th century Europe
New York Times, 8 January 2017
A universe unpeeled
Review of Sean Carroll’s “The Big Picture”
New York Times, 12 June 2016
Let’s have a dialogue
Review of Rebecca Newberger Goldstein’s “Plato at the Googleplex”
New York Times, 20 April 2014
Such small portions
An essay on Jewish humour, a propos Ruth Wisse’s “No Joke”
New York Times, 2 June 2013
America the philosophical
Review of Carlin Romano’s book about America and philosophy
New York Times, 17 July 2012
Why life is so boring
Review of Peter Tooley’s “Boredom: A Lively History”
New York Times, 29 May 2011
Montaigne’s moment
An essay about essays, and Montaigne
New York Times, 13 March 2011
A lion in the undergrowth
Review of V. S. Ramachandran’s “The Tell-Tale Brain”
New York Times, 30 January 2011
Young philosophers
Review of Alison Gopnik’s “The Philosophical Baby”
New York Times, 6 August 2009
The descent of taste
Review of Dennis Dutton’s “The Art Instinct”
New York Times, 29 January 2009
Giordano Bruno
Review of a biography by Ingrid Rowland of the philosopher-heretic
New York Times, 19 November 2008
My parrot, my self
New York Times, 11 October 2008
Talking parrots in life and literature: an essay
A love that dare not compute its name
An essay on falling in love with robots, Battlestar Galactica, and sex-toys
New York Times, 8 June 2008
I’m a believer
Britain’s “most notorious atheist”, Antony Flew, appears to lose his unbelief
New York Times, 23 December 2007
Tales of music and the brain
Review of “Musicophilia” by Oliver Sacks
New York Times, 28 October 2007
Raising spirits
Review of Deborah Blum’s book on William James’s search for proof of life after death
New York Times, 20 August 2006
Postwar: picking up the pieces
Review of Tony Judt’s history of Europe since 1945
New York Times, 16 October 2005
The truth wars
Review of two books on truth by philosophers: Simon Blackburn and Michael Lynch
New York Times, 24 July 2005
When the lights went out in Europe
Review of “The Closing of the Western Mind” by Charles Freeman
New York Times, 15 February 2004
Who wants to be a billionaire?
Review of “Soros: The Life and Times of a Messianic Billionaire” by Michael T. Kaufman
New York Times, 3 March 2002
Goodness, graciousness
Review of “A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues” by André Comte-Sponville
New York Times, 14 October 2001
God exists, philosophically
Review of Steven Nadler’s biography of Spinoza
New York Times, 18 July 1999
The postindustrial revolution
Review of Francis Fukuyama’s “The Great Disruption”
New York Times, 4 July 1999
Our crowd: the idea of the West
Review of David Gress’s “From Plato to Nato”
New York Times, 2 August 1998
Idea man
Review of George Steiner’s autobiography
New York Times, 12 April 1998
The new science
Review of Steven Shapin’s “The Scientific Revolution”
New York Times, 17 November 1996
Future shock
Review of Lester C. Thurow’s “The Future of Capitalism”
New York Times, April 14 1996
Famous long ago
Review of “Hypatia of Alexandria” by Maria Dzielska
New York Times, 27 August 1995
Why can’t we behave?
Review of Gertrude Himmelfarb’s “The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values”
New York Times, 19 February 1995
What’s on your mind, kid?
Review of “The Philosophy of Childhood” by Gareth B. Matthews
New York Times, October 23 1994
Did Sartre ever exist?
Review of “Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre: The Remaking of a Twentieth-Century Legend” by Kate and Edward Fullbrook
New York Times, 23 January 1994
Why do you do the things you do?
Review of Robert Nozick’s “The Nature of Rationality”
New York Times, 22 August 1993
The lesson of the drunk and the streetlight
Review of John Searle’s “The Rediscovery of the Mind”
New York Times, 11 October 1992
Brainstorming
Review of “Theories of the Mind” by Stephen Priest
New York Times, 23 August 1992
The most talked-about philosopher
Richard Rorty and two volumes of his essays
New York Times, 2 June 1991
Heidegger for fun and profit
A report from Berkeley’s “Applied Heidegger” conference
New York Times, 7 January 1990
Review of Steven Pinker’s “Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters”
New York Times, 31 October 2021
Nice to meet you?
Review of Malcolm Gladwell’s “Talking to Strangers”
New York Times, 6 October 2019
How we got to be so self-absorbed: the long story
Review of Will Storr’s “Selfie”
New York Times, 1 July 2018
The rake’s progress
While earning his reputation, Casanova rubbed elbows with a Who’s Who of 18th century Europe
New York Times, 8 January 2017
A universe unpeeled
Review of Sean Carroll’s “The Big Picture”
New York Times, 12 June 2016
Let’s have a dialogue
Review of Rebecca Newberger Goldstein’s “Plato at the Googleplex”
New York Times, 20 April 2014
Such small portions
An essay on Jewish humour, a propos Ruth Wisse’s “No Joke”
New York Times, 2 June 2013
America the philosophical
Review of Carlin Romano’s book about America and philosophy
New York Times, 17 July 2012
Why life is so boring
Review of Peter Tooley’s “Boredom: A Lively History”
New York Times, 29 May 2011
Montaigne’s moment
An essay about essays, and Montaigne
New York Times, 13 March 2011
A lion in the undergrowth
Review of V. S. Ramachandran’s “The Tell-Tale Brain”
New York Times, 30 January 2011
Young philosophers
Review of Alison Gopnik’s “The Philosophical Baby”
New York Times, 6 August 2009
The descent of taste
Review of Dennis Dutton’s “The Art Instinct”
New York Times, 29 January 2009
Giordano Bruno
Review of a biography by Ingrid Rowland of the philosopher-heretic
New York Times, 19 November 2008
My parrot, my self
New York Times, 11 October 2008
Talking parrots in life and literature: an essay
A love that dare not compute its name
An essay on falling in love with robots, Battlestar Galactica, and sex-toys
New York Times, 8 June 2008
I’m a believer
Britain’s “most notorious atheist”, Antony Flew, appears to lose his unbelief
New York Times, 23 December 2007
Tales of music and the brain
Review of “Musicophilia” by Oliver Sacks
New York Times, 28 October 2007
Raising spirits
Review of Deborah Blum’s book on William James’s search for proof of life after death
New York Times, 20 August 2006
Postwar: picking up the pieces
Review of Tony Judt’s history of Europe since 1945
New York Times, 16 October 2005
The truth wars
Review of two books on truth by philosophers: Simon Blackburn and Michael Lynch
New York Times, 24 July 2005
When the lights went out in Europe
Review of “The Closing of the Western Mind” by Charles Freeman
New York Times, 15 February 2004
Who wants to be a billionaire?
Review of “Soros: The Life and Times of a Messianic Billionaire” by Michael T. Kaufman
New York Times, 3 March 2002
Goodness, graciousness
Review of “A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues” by André Comte-Sponville
New York Times, 14 October 2001
God exists, philosophically
Review of Steven Nadler’s biography of Spinoza
New York Times, 18 July 1999
The postindustrial revolution
Review of Francis Fukuyama’s “The Great Disruption”
New York Times, 4 July 1999
Our crowd: the idea of the West
Review of David Gress’s “From Plato to Nato”
New York Times, 2 August 1998
Idea man
Review of George Steiner’s autobiography
New York Times, 12 April 1998
The new science
Review of Steven Shapin’s “The Scientific Revolution”
New York Times, 17 November 1996
Future shock
Review of Lester C. Thurow’s “The Future of Capitalism”
New York Times, April 14 1996
Famous long ago
Review of “Hypatia of Alexandria” by Maria Dzielska
New York Times, 27 August 1995
Why can’t we behave?
Review of Gertrude Himmelfarb’s “The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values”
New York Times, 19 February 1995
What’s on your mind, kid?
Review of “The Philosophy of Childhood” by Gareth B. Matthews
New York Times, October 23 1994
Did Sartre ever exist?
Review of “Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre: The Remaking of a Twentieth-Century Legend” by Kate and Edward Fullbrook
New York Times, 23 January 1994
Why do you do the things you do?
Review of Robert Nozick’s “The Nature of Rationality”
New York Times, 22 August 1993
The lesson of the drunk and the streetlight
Review of John Searle’s “The Rediscovery of the Mind”
New York Times, 11 October 1992
Brainstorming
Review of “Theories of the Mind” by Stephen Priest
New York Times, 23 August 1992
The most talked-about philosopher
Richard Rorty and two volumes of his essays
New York Times, 2 June 1991
Heidegger for fun and profit
A report from Berkeley’s “Applied Heidegger” conference
New York Times, 7 January 1990