CONTENTS WINTER 2009
FROM THE EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
LETTERS ETC
THIS SEASON
A selective guide to winter, featuring the artist who made himself an island, Anna Maxwell Martin, Corinne Bailey Rae and the film of “The Road”
INTELLIGENCE
Small-scale pig-keeping is on the rise. Charles Nevin joins in
Once derided by academic snobs, geography is now where it’s at
Tim Atkin calls at the French Laundry in California
Christopher Hirst sniffs out the world’s best cheese
RePasts: Jon Fasman on rout cakes, from “Vanity Fair”
Stove Notes: Simon Hopkinson begins a series with tips on risotto
If news as owned by reporters is coming to an end, when did it start?
The meaning of God in the age of New Atheism
Ed Smith on how Usain Bolt ruined his theory
Are bumpkins electric? Paul Markillie finds out
Time machine: Tom Standage on games you can rewind
STYLE
Rising and shining: Liz Forsyth meets bright young jewellers
Linda Grant on ten years of online shopping
The leather jacket, from Steve McQueen to Rick Owens
The Sceptical Shopper tackles cashmere
Niall McLaughlin, the architect behind Deal Pier café
FEATURES
COVER STORY: INTO THE ARCTIC
As Copenhagen looms, Johann Hari goes to Greenland to see how climate change really feels – and finds a twist in the tale of the endangered Inuit
COLIN FIRTH INTERVIEW
In his new film, “A Single Man”, Firth gives perhaps his best performance since Mr Darcy. Isabel Lloyd asks him why he doesn’t do it more often
PHOTO ESSAY: LONDON FOR LONERS
On Sunday nights in winter, Peter Kindersley goes out with his camera to find a corner of London he doesn’t know. The results (left) throw fresh light on some familiar sights
A POET'S GARDEN
James Fenton has spent 20 years making an exceptional garden, and now he’s walking away from it. Julie Kavanagh tells the story
TOO PROFESSIONAL?
As a sportsman, Ed Smith saw the world go from one coach per team to about one per player. Now he sees over-professionalism spreading through civilian life
CULTURE
Authors on Museums: Ann Wroe at home with Wordsworth
The Simpsons V Disney: Bee Wilson on a pop-culture clash
Martin Scorsese’s greatest hits, chosen by Tom Shone
The African sculptor who conjures beauty out of bottle tops
David Hepworth on the songs he has played most this year
PLACES
Tasmanian nights, by Nicholas Shakespeare
Unrefined rooms: hotels with a large helping of nature
Living in Brussels, by The Economist’s man in the EU
Henning Mankell, creator of Wallander, on the places he loves
The Manhattan of the Maldives
THE MISSION Will Smith becomes a scratch DJ
COVER PHOTOGRAPH AND IMAGE MANIPULATION: Diver Aquilar
© 2009 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of The Economist Newspaper Limited. Published by The Economist Newspaper Limited. 25 St James's Street, London, SW1A 1HG, telephone +44 (0)20 7830 7000. E-mail intelligentlife@economist.com; www.moreintelligentlife.com. ISSN 1743-7424. Where opinion is expressed it is that of the authors and does not necessarily coincide with the editorial views of the publisher or The Economist. All information in this magazine is verified to the best of the author's and the publisher's ability. However, The Economist Newspaper Limited does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from reliance on it. Printed by St Ives PLC, Plymouth.
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