Based on a color lithograph of ca. 1826 by Anthony Imbert, entitled Shakers near Lebanon

The Rhythms of Shaker Dance Marked the Shakers as “Other”

The name Shaker originally comes from the insult “Shaking Quakers,” which mocked the sect’s use of their bodies in worship.
An advertisement for Ivory Soap from the Christian Herald, 1913

Using God to Sell Soap

Ivory Soap got its name from Psalm 45.
A woman putting a piece of Ikea furniture together

Why We Pay To Do Stuff Ourselves

Why do people love IKEA furniture, cake mixes, and apple-picking? Psychology.
A camper van parked beside some trees in the fog

The New Nomads of #VanLife Reflect an Enduring Divide

A distinctly American restlessness is inspiring some to abandon the idea of a permanent home, while others are displaced by harsh realities.
television personality Garry Moore and Kellogg's cereal character Tony the Tiger from a 1955 Kellogg's ad.

Blame Your Inner Child For Your Brand Affinities

Research shows that the advertising we see in childhood stays with us for a very, very long time.
Glass bottles for snake oil and memory elixir

There Will Always Be a Market for Snake Oil

Even when we suspect the underlying root of an issue is complex, we tend to look for a quick fix.
Benedictine nuns from Eibingen Abbey in Germany

Nuns Don’t Have Midlife Crises

Why Benedictine nuns report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction than their non-monastic counterparts -- and what we can learn from them.
An illustration of a tabloid magazine featuring Lord Byron

With Social Media, Everyone’s A Celebrity

Social media has made constant exposure a common experience. To learn how to deal with the attention, maybe we should look to the first celebrities.
Pope Benedict XVI with incense

Smells Like Divine Spirit

The 4th century was a turning point for the role of scent in the Christian church.