During the ‘60s, Stewart Brand trained soldiers in the U.S. infantry—and dropped acid with Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters on the weekends. Which was the more formative experience?

How the “whole earth photo” Stewart Brand successfully lobbied NASA to release in 1966 kicked off the modern environmental movement.

Avenue Capital chairman Marc Lasry sees leverage as the main culprit of the economic downturn. The secret to recovery: a cap on leverage.

Prior to the crisis, regulators were more concerned with hedge funds than with banks. Why didn’t the government bailout hedge funds? Avenue Capital chairman Marc Lasry explains.

Hedge fund founder Marc Lasry evaluates the government’s handling of the Chrysler bankruptcy and compares this financial crisis to previous ones.

The fate of the newspaper critic is closely tied to the fate of print media. Can either survive?

Everyone knows the staples of the Broadway repertoire; they get recycled every decade or so. Which masterpieces are we overlooking?

Music and drama critic Terry Teachout recently wrote his first libretto; the opera became a hit. What would he advise others attempting this daunting form?

Critic Terry Teachout describes the unrestrained, abstract magic of his favorite Louis Armstrong recording.

Jazz is still exciting, says critic Terry Teachout, but its inability to connect with young audiences is “anxiety-making” for lovers of the art.

How should actors strive to play Shakespeare? What should audiences watch for when they attend a production? The drama critic shares his views.

“Pops” author Terry Teachout runs through his personal checklist of what makes a biography worth writing (hint: it’s the inner life that counts).

As the first biographer to hear Louis Armstrong’s private tape recordings, the author of “Pops” discovered a side of the jazz genius the public never suspected.

Critic Terry Teachout reveals the drama and music that moved him the most as a young man, and which is the more personal art form for him.

Wall Street Journal critic Terry Teachout doesn’t worry that blogs will kill professional criticism. But through his own blog (“About Last Night”), he’s learned how much they can help the […]

A conversation with the Wall Street Journal drama critic and author of “Pops.”

As the Duke historian explains, soccer, first brought to Algeria by their French colonizers, later became a symbol for Algerian nationalism.

James McManus explains why the legacy of poker speaks to the fundamental duality in the American experience.

Grant went bankrupt, Eisenhower could finally afford a date, and Nixon won enough to start a campaign. James McManus chronicles the checkered history of gambling presidents.

Why is a game with almost impossible odds that thrives on the impoverished a legitimate form of tax revenue while a skill-based game like poker is outlawed in most American […]

In the throes of the Great Depression and on the brink of entering the Second World War, FDR hosted some of the most fascinating poker games in American history.

As a newcomer to the Illinois Senate, he started a low-stakes game to which he’d invite fellow Democrats, Republicans, and lobbyists.

Poker involves a rare blend of logic and instinct, but which will help you the most?

The history of poker has witnessed a number of legendary cheaters. The author of “Cowboys Full” explains how you can join their ranks.

A conversation with the author and poker player.

A conversation with the Group Chief Executive of Global Markets and Management Consulting at Accenture.

Despite the crucial cost cutting that businesses are undertaking in this economic climate, it’s also important to be thinking about tomorrow, says Accenture’s Mark Foster.

Management consulting expert Mark Foster thinks that businesses need to be poised to tap into new sources of global ability.

Historian of religion Karen Armstrong cites three models of a “good death”: one from history, one from religion, and one from her own experience as a nun.