Suggested Readings: Human Origins, a Rat Disaster, and the Confederate Flag
Well-researched stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors of JSTOR Daily.
The Fantastic Disaster of the Arabia Felix Expedition
The Danish expedition to the Arabian Peninsula of 1761-1767 was a bungle of mismatched egos and wretched conditions. There was only a single survivor.
Could Youth Unemployment in the Middle East Be Dangerous?
Nearly half the population in the Middle East is under 25 years old, and their unemployment rate hovers at a staggering 30%.
The Women’s Magazine That Tried to Stop the Civil War
Godey’s Lady’s Book, one of the most influential American publications of the nineteenth century, tried to halt the Civil War.
How Consumerism Created Bigfoot
People have long told stories about wildmen, creatures who straddled the line between human and animal. But Bigfoot himself first appeared in the 1950s.
Mountain of Trash: Everest’s Environmental Disaster
We often picture the Himalayas as pristine. In reality, Everest's snows cover empty oxygen tanks, wrappers, cans, and an array of debris left behind by climbers.
How Canada Learned From the U.S.A.’s Mistakes
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Canada as a nation. They that took as their model of democracy lessons from both Britain and the US.
A Short History of the Condom
Dating back to at least medieval times, the condom has taken a winding path to social acceptance.
Frank Lloyd Wright at 150
Frank Lloyd Wright remains the most famous American architect even though he was born just two years after the end of the Civil War.
What Really Made 1950s Housewives So Miserable
Where did the image of the quietly desperate stay-at-home mother come from?