One of my favorite books of all time is “Oranges” by John McPhee. When I tell people this, they ask me what it’s about. “Oranges,” I say. “No, seriously; what’s it about?” “Oranges.” This is when they ...

Around the world, the document establishes legal, social, and economic legitimacy. But it also makes compromises. An Object Lesson. Carl Linnaeus, the father of biological taxonomy, also had a hand in ...

Have you ever wondered who invented the pencil? Or what led to the creation of the swimming pool? Object Lessons is a beautifully designed book series—published by Bloomsbury Academic—that explores ...

Sunday is my last broadcast as host of Weekend All Things Considered at NPR West. I'm moving back to Boston, and with packing well underway, after the broadcast I'll be sleeping between piles of ...

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. Everything about the stapler reeks of a time gone. The all-metal body.