Maiden Blog
When the wonderful folks at Random House1 asked if I would be willing to do a blog for this website, I had to look the word up. Don't worry. I Googled it. I'm not a Luddite who writes books on...
View ArticleWho Are You Calling Biased?
When the wonderful folks at Random House1 asked if I would be willing to do a blog for this website, I had to look the word up. Don't worry. I Googled it. I'm not a Luddite who writes books on...
View ArticleThe Spice of Life
When I told my wife that I was going to be featured in the Sunday Styles section of the New York Times, she promptly dialed 911 and asked them to send the men with the nets. She knows that I...
View ArticleHere's to Tofu, Baseball, Heroin—and Dad!
Let me start by thanking Mr. John Lincoln of Hanover, New Hampshire, who was attentive and literate enough to notice that the Shakespeare quote that opens Chapter 6 of Stumbling on Happiness is...
View ArticleIt's The End Of The World As We Know It And I Feel Fine
Next time I'm in the Bay area I'm going to stop by Kepler's Bookstore (click here) and kiss all the clerks because Stumbling on Happiness is now their bestselling hardcover nonfiction title. Although I...
View ArticleTears in the Wayback
I'm always a bit surprised when people write hateful things to me (or about me) simply because we hold different opinions on some issue. My LA Times essay on global warming (click here) brought more...
View ArticleThe Vagaries of Religious Experience
Several readers have written to say "Why aren't you posting to your blog anymore?" and the time has now come for a reply. The answer is: (a) I am writing a textbook with two of my colleagues, writing...
View ArticleThe Dark Network
I have some happy news to share. Amazon named Stumbling on Happiness their #7 book of 2006 in the category of Business, and their #1 book of 2006 in the category of Mind, Body, and Health (which sounds...
View ArticleCompassionate Commercialism
I have nothing against commercials. In fact, I rely on them to tell me which bank is offering the best interest rate or where I can get another pair of those cool green loafers that all my friends make...
View ArticleWhat You Don't Know Makes You Nervous
Okay, I admit it. This isn't a blog. A blog is like a garden; you can't fuss over it for a while, forget about it for two years, and then expect it to be there when you come back. But...
View ArticleTimes to Remember, Places to Forget
Times to Remember, Places to Forget The New York Times, December 31, 2009 Tonight, millions of Americans will raise a glass, sing the only three Scottish words they know and remember the past with an...
View ArticleThe Weight at the Plate
The Weight at the Plate The New York Times, August 5, 2010 The Boston Red Sox haven't given their fans much to cheer about this summer so we've had to take our pleasure where we could find it, for...
View ArticleMagic by Numbers
Magic by Numbers The New York Times, October 17, 2010 I recently wound up in the emergency room. Don't worry, it was probably nothing. But to treat my case of probably nothing, the doctor gave me a...
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