Why are we still surprised when “non-fiction” is less than truthful? “The sad truth is that “non-fiction” has been unreliable from the beginning, no matter how finely grained a section of human knowledge we wish to consider.” The sadder truth is that journalist fact-checking and academic peer review are still the best alternatives.
Adam Kirsch on the convergence of east and west: “…if the West has achieved things we hold sacred – as we should – it has always been the result of internal struggle. What are now the cherished principles of Western civilization, from democracy to racial equality, have all started out as critiques and became generally accepted only after long and sometimes violent conflict.”