Literature
Holiday Gift Ideas for the Adventure Traveler
A chess set, soccer ball, bear spray and other items, even dog food, make the list of gifts to give your favorite hardened traveler
December 16, 2011 |
By Alastair Bland
Last Minute Food-Themed Gift Ideas
Food, jewelry, toys and books for those hard-to-shop-for people on your gift list
December 15, 2011 |
By Jesse Rhodes
A Trio of Outstanding Picture Books
Three more books to add to the Best of Childrens Books 2011 list
December 14, 2011 |
By Kathleen Burke
The Edible Is Political: Cookbooks from Both Sides of the Aisle
The cookbook has been a campaign tool for the women's suffrage movement, John F. Kennedy and now Ron Paul
December 09, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
A Holiday Gift List for Science Lovers
Some books, toys, art and clothing for the scientist or geek in your life
December 05, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Best of Children’s Books 2011: For Picture Book Readers (Part I)
As you begin your holiday shopping, review these selections of the best picture books of the year
December 02, 2011 |
By Kathleen Burke
Books on Bike Perfection and Women’s Bike-Won Freedom
Women's clothing was a problem, and to efficiently ride a bike there was only one thing to do: Take it off
December 01, 2011 |
By Alastair Bland
Women and the Way of the Pedal-empowered
Susan B. Anthony said bicycling "has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel"
November 29, 2011 |
By Alastair Bland
Why Does Meat Dry Out During Cooking?
Before you find yourself in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, losing this battle and cursing the world, it might help to learn what happens to meat during the cooking process
November 22, 2011 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The Wonders that Wash Ashore: Malarrimo Beach
The attraction of beachcombing is that one isn't perusing an actual garbage dump; much of what one sifts through on a remote stretch of sand are valuables lost at sea
November 22, 2011 |
By Alastair Bland
For Children, Print Titles—Not e-Books—Reign
The act of sitting with a child and together altering the pace, paging through pictures and words together, offers a shared understanding of the world and a cohesive, memorable experience
November 22, 2011 |
By Kathleen Burke
Ten Great Science Books For Kids
From dinosaurs at the Smithsonian to a walk around a pond, here are some of our favorites from 2011
November 22, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Best of Children’s Books 2011: For the Very Youngest Readers
The first section of Smithsonian's 2011 Best Children's Books begins with selections for the youngest readers in your family
November 18, 2011 |
By Kathleen Burke
Into a Desert Place: A Talk With Graham Mackintosh
In remote fishing camps along the shoreline, a few older fishermen remember a red-haired Englishman who tramped through 30 years ago, disappearing around the next point.
November 17, 2011 |
By Alastair Bland
Crying Wolf Among Motor Vehicles and Landmines
Five drunk young men—the first visibly intoxicated men I think I've seen in Turkey—spilled out and began dancing in the highway to Turkish music from the car’s radio
November 15, 2011 |
By Alastair Bland
Zen and the Art of Sleeping Anywhere
By camping wild, we bypass unloading the luggage, taking off our shoes at the doorstep, and all the other finicky logistics of dwelling in a well-groomed society
November 10, 2011 |
By Alastair Bland
Five Books on World War I
Military history, memoir, and even a novelized series make this list of can’t-miss books about the Great War
November 10, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Auctioning a Beloved Thomas Hart Benton Collection
Perhaps the nation's best collection of Benton prints was assembled by an idiosyncratic Texan named Creekmore Fath
November 07, 2011 |
By Henry Adams
Not Finding the Lost Explorer Everett Ruess
A recent book only adds to the enduring mystery of a legendary Southwest wanderer
November 04, 2011 |
By Susan Spano
From D.W. Griffith to the Grapes of Wrath, How Hollywood Portrayed the Poor
In the era before the Great Depression and ever since, the film industry has taken a variety of views on the lower classes
November 04, 2011 |
By Daniel Eagan
