Intellectual Affairs

Intellectual Affairs (2005–2025)

Scott McLemee — Fri, 02/28/2025 - 03:00 AM

In his final “Intellectual Affairs” column, Scott McLemee looks back at 20 years of writing about the world of scholarly books and ideas.

Prepared for Spiritual Warfare

Scott McLemee — Fri, 02/14/2025 - 03:00 AM

Scott McLemee considers the continuing cultural resonance of Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning.

The Panopticon, Old and New

Scott McLemee — Fri, 01/31/2025 - 03:00 AM

Scott McLemee considers the panopticon’s persistence in (semi-)popular culture as an inescapable metaphor.

Thoughts of Future Past

Scott McLemee — Fri, 01/17/2025 - 03:00 AM

Scott McLemee reviews Glenn Adamson’s A Century of Tomorrows, an account of the rise of “futurology.”

In the New Year

Scott McLemee — Fri, 12/20/2024 - 03:00 AM

Scott McLemee looks ahead to select spring 2025 university press releases.

Spring Ahead

Scott McLemee — Tue, 12/10/2024 - 12:49 AM

Social trust is fraying, zombie bugs are on the loose and human ingenuity never fails to surprise—Scott McLemee rounds up select forthcoming titles from university presses.

Living the ‘Vita Contemplativa’

Scott McLemee — Fri, 11/22/2024 - 03:00 AM

Scott McLemee reviews Byung-Chul Han’s Vita Contemplativa: In Praise of Inactivity.

Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment

Scott McLemee — Fri, 11/15/2024 - 03:00 AM

An artful new documentary sheds new light even for those familiar with the infamous experiment, Scott McLemee writes.

‘Stories Are Weapons’

Scott McLemee — Fri, 11/01/2024 - 03:00 AM

Scott McLemee reviews Annalee Newitz’s new book on the evolution of psychological warfare.

‘Bowling Alone’ (The Movie)

Scott McLemee — Fri, 10/18/2024 - 03:00 AM

New on Netflix: Scott McLemee reviews a documentary about the life and work of Robert D. Putnam.