Understanding Economics in Plain English

By Thomas Hedges, Center for Study of Responsive Law Dec 15, 2012 Fedspeak, vague and convoluted answers to economic questions, was popularized by Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006. It allowed him to essentially say “no comment” without admitting that he was avoiding questions.After 30 years of unintelligible fedspeak, writer Michael Goodwin decided he would master economics the old-fashioned way: from a thick stack of books. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Interminable ‘Flight’ Is Good, but Save Your Miles

Richard Schickel / Truthdig Nov 6, 2012 "Flight" is a mildly unsatisfying film, chiefly, I think, because we've been here before. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Let ‘Argo’ Take You Hostage

Richard Schickel / Truthdig Oct 16, 2012 I don’t know how much of the picture -- beyond its basic premise -- is "true" And, frankly, I don’t give a damnI don’t know how much of the picture—beyond its basic premise—is "true. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Prison and Poverty for All: The Future We Live In

Peter Z. Scheer / Truthdig Oct 2, 2012 A new documentary about prison and the drug war makes the science fiction dystopias of "Looper" and "Dredd 3D" feel disturbingly plausible. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Cult of Personality

Richard Schickel / Truthdig Sep 18, 2012 The critics simply have too much invested in the still young director to acknowledge that "The Master" has to rank somewhere between a disappointment and a disaster. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The ‘Dark Knight’: 3 Hours of Apathy

Richard Schickel / Truthdig Jul 23, 2012 We want it to be good. We certainly don't want it to be the occasion for tragedy. What we are forced to settle for, though, is aimlessness. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Magic Mike: Keep Your Pants Off

Peter Z. Scheer / Truthdig Jul 3, 2012 "Magic Mike" is an entertaining movie that unfortunately lacks the courage of its own predilections. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

The Good-Natured Dictator

Richard Schickel / Truthdig May 21, 2012 No movie dedicated to Kim Jong Il can be all bad. On the other hand, "The Dictator," the product of Sacha Baron Cohen, cannot be all good either. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Shining India

By Shashi Tharoor Feb 24, 2012 The raw pathos of the characters in “Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity” is of the kind usually found in great fiction, except in Katherine Boo’s book, they’re real people. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

This Gay Man Represented the President

Mel White / Truthdig Feb 17, 2012 James C. Hormel's transformation from a confused and closeted gay kid to the nation's first openly gay ambassador is chronicled in his memoir “Fit to Serve.” Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Political Divide

By Thomas Byrne Edsall Feb 11, 2012 Are voters as polarized as their elected officials? The question, which has serious implications in an election year, has put political scientists at loggerheads in several new and recent books. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Kim Jong Un, This One’s for You

Cherilyn Parsons / Truthdig Feb 3, 2012 “The Orphan Master’s Son” by Adam Johnson is a rich, careening, dystopian tale that gives us a visceral hit of life inside North Korea. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )