Making an early dash for the polls must have been a tempting prospect for Gordon Brown ever since the Tories rediscovered their talent for pushing the self-destruct button; but if he needed any more persuading, Mervyn King probably clinched it on Wednesday...

The last time reason caught up with economist Tyler Cowen for a long sit-down interview was in 2003, just after he'd published Creative Destruction, a wide-ranging and compelling argument for the cultural benefits of globalization...

Here is Jeff Jacoby on the decline of anti-scalping legislation and why it's a good thing...

The stresses and pace of postmodern lifestyles leave very little time to read full-length books aimed at information and long-term trends of our nation...