Manan Ahmed, Cliopatria's delegate plenipotentiary at the Yearly Kos convention, reports on his experience there. Ahmed,"Wild Frontiers of our Localized World, Chapati Mystery, 2 August, anticipates his remarks on the panel with Juan Cole, John Mearsheimer, Dennis Perrin, and Fariba Zarinebaf. Juan Cole reports on Yearly Kos at Informed Comment (scroll down). Dennis Perrin gives his report at HuffPo. The presidential candidates ignored the DLC this year and courted Yearly Kos, but Daniel Larison suggests that the Kossacks will be co-opted by the foreign policy establishment of a new Democratic administration.

Nicholas Wade,"In Dusty Archives, a Theory of Affluence," NYT, 7 August, looks at the explanation by Gregory Clark, an economic historian at UC, Davis, of the Industrial Revolution. Clark will publish his full argument next month in A Farewell to Alms. It appears to be very important work.

Carl Rollyson,"The Gospel of Relaxation," NYSun, 25 July, reviews Mark Francis's Herbert Spencer and the Invention of Modern Life.

Brett Holman,"War Games," Revise and Dissent, 4 August, is a terrific post about the popular origin of war games for children.

Virginia Rounding,"Woolf Goes Below Stairs," Daily Mail, 31 July, reviews Alison Light's Mrs. Woolf and the Servants: The Hidden Heart of Domestic Service.

Jane Mayer,"The Black Sites: A rare look inside the C.I.A.'s secret interrogation program," New Yorker, 13 August. Hat tip.