Oct 9, 2008

Thursday's Notes

by Cliopatria

THE-QS Top Universities has released its list for 2008 of the top 100 universities in the world. No great surprises here, but for the first time Israel breaks into the top 100 rank with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Janet Maslin,"Alas, Poor Descartes: Meditations on a Well-Traveled Skull," NYT, 8 October, reviews Russell Shorto's Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason.

Stuart Jeffries,"Cross purposes," Guardian, 8 October, interviews Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, about why – in the midst of his struggle to hold the Anglican community together – he published a book on Dostoevsky: Language, Faith and Fiction.

Thomas Mallon,"Set in Stone," New Yorker, 13 October, reviews Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon by Philip B. Kunhardt III, Peter W. Kunhardt, and Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr.

More Comments:

Jeremy Young - 10/10/2008

I'll admit to a bit of chauvinism here, but I'm pretty sure my institution, Indiana University, ought to outrank, say, Purdue, UC-Santa Barbara, or Texas A&M. Not that those aren't good schools, but still.

Ralph E. Luker - 10/9/2008

I suppose, though public institutions, generally, don't do so well on this list. I have no idea, though, why Michigan would outrank Berkeley.

HAVH Mayer - 10/9/2008

Actually, Berkeley at #36 is pretty shocking.