An American dream for the world
An unusual history lesson about happiness Jay Walljasper | May 2006 issue When I became a father 11 years ago, I expected it would lead to many unfamiliar and even unsettling experiences. But I never dreamed that one day I would dress up as the American patriot Thomas Jefferson and field questions Read More...
A new style of superpower
India is emerging as one of the powers of the 21st century. Yet Indian novelist Pankaj Mishra says it will progress on its own terms, reinventing the whole notion of modernity in the process. Pankaj Mishra | May 2006 issue In India late last year, a senior police officer appeared at a court hearing Read More...
From old age to new sage
Make the most out of your life by becoming a spiritual elder Zalman Schachter-Shalomi | May 2006 issue I was approaching my 60th birthday, and a feeling of futility had invaded my soul, plunging me into a state of depression that no amount of busyness or diversion could dispel. On the surface, I Read More...
How to get older gracefully
Physical decline may be inevitable but there's plenty you can do to stay vital and healthy Andrew Weil | May 2006 issue In 2002, I turned 60. To help celebrate the occasion, friends organized a surprise party for me. After the festivities, I took some time to reflect, and I came to an uncomfortable Read More...
Real-world vacations
Lending a hand on organic farms in exchange for room and board is a great way to meet real people around the world. English writer Kathryn Good discovered this in Australia as she weeded vegetable patches and bottle-fed baby goats in order to forget about a boy back home. Kathryn Good | May 2006 Read More...
The two cornerstones of healthy aging
And ten other tips for a great old age Andrew Weil | May 2006 issue 1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet An anti-inflammatory diet is aimed at countering tissue inflammation that current research indicates may be the culprit in many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Such a diet Read More...
The war at home
A new documentary investigates why the U.S. invaded Iraq Jay Walljasper | May 2006 Read More...
The healing power of placebos
A sugar pill, a salt solution, a doctor in a white jacket--these all have the power to cure as long as the patient believes in their healing qualities. That seems impossible. So what does science say about the elusive placebo effect? And how can we use it to feel better? Marco Visscher | May 2006 Read More...
The whole world is blogging!
The great promise of this democratic tool depends on participation by all people Jay Walljasper | May 2006 issue “I have no interest in being anti-establishment,” proclaims Matt Stoller, a leading progressive blogger on at the popular U.S. web site MyDD.com. “We’re going to be the Read More...
A few days to live
A remarkable discovery about life from the deathbed Tijn Touber | May 2006 issue I knew a man who discovered, as he lay dying, that he had only been on Earth for a few days. He was nearly 70 years old when he died, but according to him, he had only really been alive a few days. Those several days Read More...