The Wilson Quarterly

The Call of the Future by Tom Vanderbilt Today we worry about the social effects of the Internet. A century ago, it was the telephone that threatened to reinvent society.

A Small World After All? by Ethan Zuckerman The Internet has changed many things, but not the insular habits of mind that keep the world from becoming truly connected.
In the Footsteps of Giants by Michael McDonald The acclaimed biographer Michael Scammell discusses the peculiar challenges and delights of his craft.
Man as Machine by Max Byrd A peculiar experiment inspired by the Enlightenment sheds light on the age-old question of what makes us human.
Pakistan’s Most Dangerous Place by Zahid Hussain Pakistan’s remote and poorly understood tribal region has emerged as key to the future of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Spring 2012
Full Table of Contents

In Essence

Packing Prisoners

Prisoners have become the latest pawn of state gerrymanderers looking to win districts for their party.

Wonder Bread

In 1952, the U.S. government joined forces with baking industry scientists to design a sturdier, healthier, and tastier loaf of bread.

Africa: Storms Ahead

Abnormal rainfall nudges African countries toward political instability; climate change could aggravate the trend.

The Meritocracy Machine Hiccups

College graduates enjoy a level playing field, but inequality returns among students who get advanced degrees.

Noble Savages

Studies of hunter-gatherers past and present show that sharing is crucial to human survival.

Leader of the Pack

The Girl Scouts owe their existence to the vision of a vibrant if eccentric promoter of opportunities for girls.

India's Underbelly

Poverty in Mumbai can reinforce ties among neighbors; more often, it breeds suspicion, gangs, and lethal jealousies.

The Gospel According to Jefferson

The third president’s take on Jesus of Nazareth.

Meg's Mags

The WQ’s In Essence editor shares her 10 favorite small magazines

Afghanistan's New Writers

During National Poetry Month, a WQ editor reflects on an unusual editorial mission.

Deep Throat Vitriol

A new book recasts the heroes of Watergate.

Slideshow: Feeding the Future

A writing professor brings her camera to the Salatin family’s famous farm.

Remote Possibilities

Editor Steven Lagerfeld introduces the Spring 2012 issue, "The Age of Connection."

Terrorism's Two-Way Street

Cyber jihadists proceed at their own risk.

Kennan and the Classics

Grand strategist George F. Kennan found inspiration in unlikely places.

What Is Hugo Chávez Up To? by Joshua Kucera Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has set alarms ringing with his efforts to create a global anti-American coalition.
The WikiLeaks Illusion by Alasdair Roberts WikiLeaks’ tsunami of revelations from U.S. government sources last year did not change the world, but it did change WikiLeaks.
Long Live the Industrial City by Tom Vanderbilt New York City’s garment district illustrates that manufacturing can still be vital to the innovation that cities foster.
Rethinking the Great Recession by Robert J. Samuelson In embracing a victims-and-villains explanation of the recession, Americans are missing important lessons about the future of the U.S. economy.
What Is a Tree Worth? by Jill Jonnes Trees brighten city streets and delight nature-starved urbanites. Now scientists are learning that they also play a crucial role in the green infrastructure of America’s cities.
Nuclear Is Not the Way by Brice Smith and Arjun Makhijani Relying upon nuclear power to combat global warming poses risks that are too severe, given that safer alternatives are available.
Nuclear Power Is the Future by Max Schulz Nuclear power alone is positioned to help meet the world's burgeoning energy demand and supply electricity to power-starved areas of the world.
America: Land of Loners? by Daniel Akst Americans, plugged in and on the move, are confiding in their pets, their computers, and their spouses. What they need is to rediscover the value of friendship.
The Bounty Hunter's Pursuit of Justice by Alex Tabarrok When felony defendants jump bail, bounty hunters spring into action. It’s a uniquely American system, and it works.
The Arab Tomorrow by David B. Ottaway The Arab world today is ruled by contradiction. Turmoil and stagnation prevail, as colossal wealth and hypermodern cities collide with mass illiteracy and rage-filled imams. In this new diversity may lie disaster, or the makings of a better Arab future.
A History of the Past:
'Life Reeked With Joy' by Anders Henriksson Possibly as an act of vengeance, a history professor--compiling, verbatim, several decades' worth of freshman papers--offers some of his students’ more striking insights into European history from the Middle Ages to the present.