Pirating Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, in the 1840s
When Parley's Illuminated Library published a pirated version of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens decided he had had enough.
Who Survives a Political Scandal?
For a public figure, a scandal is a predictable hazard of the trade. What's less predictable, however, is who survives one.
There’s No Template for Emotional Intelligence
A templated response to any situation is the antithesis of an emotionally in-tune reaction.
Who Was Alexander von Humboldt?
Remembering the work of the great naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, on the 250th anniversary of his birth.
Who Was Elsie, besides the World’s Most Famous Cow?
In the Great Depression, Borden sought a new spokescow to help preserve its traditional agrarian image.
Are Koalas Really Going Extinct?
A report from the Australian Koala Foundation declaring koalas "functionally extinct" has caused a confusing scare. What does it mean?
The Oneida Community Moves to the OC
The Oneida Community's Christian form of collectivism was transported to California in the 1880s, when the original Oneida Community fell apart.
Tsarist Russia’s Feminist Intelligentsia
In the context of Russia's patriarchal autocracy, its intelligentsia was surprisingly feminist, as Vera Podorovskaya's life illustrates.
The Reindeer Games
In 1907, the U.S. Reindeer Service was organized as part of an effort to domesticate the animals...and Inupiat Eskimos.
Only You Can Prevent Useless Gifts
Is it time for a revival of the Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving (SPUG)?