Perhaps I should have realised from the title, but when I began to read The Book of Dead Philosophers I didn’t expect it to be funny. In fact Simon Critchley’s stories […]
Year: 2009
Finca bout it, says Louise Kenny
Guatemalan coffee is revered as a most tasty brew throughout the world. I’ve even read reports from connoisseur “cuppers,” or coffee tasters, about it being a “kaleidoscope” coffee. Apparently that’s […]
Emily Spry on infant mortality in Sierra Leone
A relatively newly-posted medical officer told me how she resisted returning to the children’s hospital after her three month stint here as a house officer last year. “It was so […]
Richard Smith: can the internet transform public services?
Slowly but surely the internet is transforming industries—finance, travel, music, entertainment—but so far it has had little impact on public services. But can it transform public services and if so […]
Tracey Koehlmoos on fear and swine flu in Bangladesh
They were waiting for me when I returned to Dhaka in late July. My office is not easily found, so the small group of older gentlemen must have been determined […]
Domhnall MacAuley on Thierry Henry’s rehabilitation
Thierry Henry’s rehabilitation is on track. He kept a low profile in Barca’s win on Tuesday night but was back in the spotlight nevertheless. Gasps of relief across the world […]
Richard Smith is expelled from the Royal College of Physicians
I’ve just been thrown out of the Royal College of Physicians, which has moderately excited me—probably just as much as when I became a fellow. My sin is not paying […]
Richard Smith on health research in rural China
The differences between rural and urban China are stark. Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities are filled with new buildings, best illustrated by those built for the Olympics, whereas rural […]
Joe Collier: Seeing beyond the first impression
I have long believed that first impressions, and even visual clues generally, can cause trouble. Indeed, it is my view that their (mis)use is possibly a key component in the development of […]
Julian Sheather on moral responsibilities
I have been watching the French crime series Spiral (Engrenages) . The title refers to the way an investigation into a prostitute’s murder – she is dumped naked on a […]