What to read in The New York Times
5:19pm
As Clive noted earlier, the whole of the New York Times will be free online from midnight tonight. I’d thoroughly recommend that you take the opportunity to start reading David Brooks, his column runs on Tuesday and Fridays.
As well as being America’s most perceptive conservative commentator, Brooks writes absolutely fascinating stuff about the brain. Here’s something from this Friday’s column on the declining importance of IQ: “One of the classic findings of [how IQ can be affected by the social environment] was made by H.M. Skeels back in the 1930s. He studied mentally retarded orphans who were put in foster homes. After four years, their I.Q.'s diverged an amazing 50 points from orphans who were not moved. And the remarkable thing is the mothers who adopted the orphans were themselves mentally retarded and living in a different institution. It wasn't tutoring that produced the I.Q. spike; it was love.”
Of the other New York Times columnists, Tom Friedman's writings on international affairs and Maureen Dowd’s wonderfully catty politics slot are also well worth bookmarking.
Previous
Disraeli's Ghost
September 18th, 2007 6:46pm Report this commentSo Hug a Hoodie wasn't so dumb after all?
David Williamson
September 18th, 2007 11:39pm Report this commentI'm looking forward to reading David Brooks, again, but wont be bookmarking Maureen Dowd and Tom Friedman.
Derek
September 19th, 2007 5:05am Report this commentHe may be a good writer, but if the word means anything at all David Brooks is most certainly not a 'conservative'. He is, however, a neocon. By all means, read him, but don't think American conservative thinking stops with Mr Brooks.
Back to top