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A photo illustration featuring a row of books atop which one book is open. The text reads: "20 Years of Intellectual Affairs: The Final Column."

Intellectual Affairs (2005–2025)

In his final “Intellectual Affairs” column, Scott McLemee looks back at 20 years of writing about the world of scholarly books and ideas.

By Scott McLemee

A darkly lit image of four actors on stage during the Studio Theatre’s 2022 production of Will Arbery's "Heroes of the Fourth Turning."

Prepared for Spiritual Warfare

Scott McLemee considers the continuing cultural resonance of Will Arbery’sHeroes of the Fourth Turning.

By Scott McLemee

A drawing illustrating the concept of the panopticon, a design concept for prisons featuring a central watchtower from which guards can see into all the cells, but the prisoners can't see if they are being watched.

The Panopticon, Old and New

Scott McLemee considers the panopticon’s persistence in (semi-)popular culture as an inescapable metaphor.

By Scott McLemee

The book cover for Glenn Adamson's "A Century of Tomorrows."

Thoughts of Future Past

Scott McLemee reviews Glenn Adamson’sA Century of Tomorrows, an account of the rise of “futurology.”

By Scott McLemee

An illustration featuring the covers of the nine books described in the accompanying essay.

In the New Year

Scott McLemee looks ahead to select spring 2025 university press releases.

By Scott McLemee

A sign reading "New Books" is displayed at a library.

Spring Ahead

Social trust is fraying, zombie bugs are on the loose and human ingenuity never fails to surprise—Scott McLemee rounds up select forthcoming titles from university presses.

By Scott McLemee

The cover of Byung-Chul Han's 'Vita Contemplativa: In Praise of Inactivity,' featuring a placid lake with forest and mountains in the background.

Living the ‘Vita Contemplativa’

Scott McLemee reviews Byung-Chul Han’sVita Contemplativa: In Praise of Inactivity.

By Scott McLemee

A poster for the 'Stanford Prison Experiment' limited series. A male student acting as a guard gestures with a baton toward a group of peers, dressed as prisoners, lined up and facing the other direction; text at the top states "Six days will last a lifetime." The poster also notes the series is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment

An artful new documentary sheds new light even for those familiar with the infamous experiment, Scott McLemee writes.

By Scott McLemee