Again, on vacation, so no extended thoughts, just seedlings of different things:

Historians drawing interesting, though only moderately so, connections between our age and different historical episodes. 

A nice piece by a book editor about the central importance of argument in books, and a helpful distinction between "serious nonfiction and narrative nonfiction." 

An interesting suggestion that Trump is actually having diverse effects on white people, further radicalizing some, making others more voluble in their racism, but also shocking a large number of white people to reconsider their racism.  

"Gutenberg’s moving type propelled Europe towards the scientific revolution"; fasciating but I'd like to know how they determine what counts for a number of the categories they mention (like a "science" class in 1500, or how to measure the "religious content" of a book in 1490 or 1600, etc.).

Profs aren't discriminating against conservative students.  Again, we need serious thinking, not spin.

Lincoln and Marx, and the coolest thing about this piece is how easily alive to our problems Marx's thought can be made to seem, and also the fact that Marx thought about emigrating to Texas in 1843.  Oh, and the author--Robin Blackburn--thinks Grant rejected the Anaconda Plan, but I thought in fact he pretty much accepted it?    

Journalists on "aha" moments.  Useful for thinking about writing more generally, perhaps.