CONTENTS SUMMER 2011
FROM THE EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
LETTERS ETC
FEATURES
PETE TOWNSHEND
A candid chat about where The Who are now—and what really happened when he was arrested
COVER STORY: WOMEN IN CHINA
Hilary Spurling, biographer of Pearl Buck, returns to China to trace the changes in women’s lives from Buck’s day to ours
PHOTO ESSAY
The English seaside, seen through American eyes
KATHRYN GUSTAFSON
A landscape architect in demand everywhere but Britain
THE STATE OF HOLLYWOOD
Whatever happened to the thoughtful mainstream? By David Thomson
THIS SEASON
The next three months at a glance, featuring Poussin and Twombly in London, Anne-Sophie Mutter at Verbier, the end of the “Harry Potter” series, and Irving Wardle on an unsung hero of theatre
INTELLIGENCE
THINKING What research tells us about how to make a decision
GOING GREEN Why Lieutenant Columbo should be a green role model
CARS A visit to a proving ground, where cars go to get beaten up
FOOD Does food really taste better in the open air?
Stove Notes: Simon Hopkinson on paella
THE WINE-LIST INSPECTOR Tim Atkin tracks down some good wine in Florence
SPORT Why more sports events should be like Wimbledon
A GAME, A GADGET AND AN APP Tom Standage’s pick of the clicks
STYLE
FASHION Why dancers make the best models, with pictures to prove it
APPLIED FASHION Far from itsy-bitsy: Rebecca Willis on the bikini
THE LINE OF BEAUTY A short history of the moustache
THE SCEPTICAL SHOPPER Our anonymous reporter looks into coffee-shop coffee
MAN IN A SUIT One of the sharp business minds behind Lovefilm
CULTURE
AUTHORS ON MUSEUMS Alan Hollinghurst goes back to a museum in Copenhagen
MUSIC The Playlist: this year’s festival anthems
BOOKS Notes on a Voice: the distinctive prose of Joan Didion
Eight Good Books: Maggie Fergusson’s pick of the summer fiction
VISUAL CV Kevin Spacey, soon to play Richard III, by Jasper Rees
PLACES
MAIN FEATURE The importance of memory sticks in Cuba, by James Scudamore
SEVEN WONDERS Salman Rushdie, novelist, on his favourite places
BEING THERE What it’s like to live in Atlanta, by Jon Fasman
THIS QUARTER’S QUARTERS Film directors’ properties
SNAPSHOT Volcanic Iceland, after the ash cloud
THE MISSION Will Smith tries his hand at being a tour guide
© 2011 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 author 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. England.
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Comment of the moment
quote I agree with the author in some respects. I would love to see people put the same passion and energy into more purposive channels such as understanding healthcare reform (as an example) or voting as they do into keeping up with these scandals. On the other hand, maybe it is a good thing that social media etc. has allowed Americans a better view into the lives of public figures ...