Books and authors

Diversifying your online worldIn a new book, MIT’s Ethan Zuckerman asserts that we need to overcome the Internet’s sorting tendencies and create tools to make ourselves ‘digital cosmopolitans.’

Shankar Raman wins Levitan Prize in the HumanitiesThe $25,000 award supports innovative scholarship

That ’70s showIn a new book, journalist and MIT fellow Christian Caryl recounts the epoch-shaping political, religious and economic upheavals launched in the year 1979.

The strangely familiar browsing habits of 14th-century readersMIT professor’s book digs into the eclectic, textually linked reading choices of people in medieval London.

Using literature to understand violence against blacksMIT professor Sandy Alexandre studies the literary record to shed light on the history of lynching in the United States.

An unforgettable lifeMIT neuroscientist Suzanne Corkin shares her memories of the world’s most famous amnesia patient.

Anthropologist Graham Jones receives the 2013 Edgerton AwardFor exceptional distinction in teaching and research

How to make factory conditions betterAfter years of research into global production systems, an MIT political scientist is convinced that government, not just the private sector, must help keep workers safe.

Are we purging the poorest?In a new book, MIT urbanist Lawrence Vale examines the downsizing of public housing.

Stephanie Frampton awarded the Rome PrizeWill research history and cultural significance of the alphabetic writing of ancient Rome.

Building the new New Orleans, block by blockMIT urbanist’s new book shows how active neighborhood communities helped revitalize the city after Hurricane Katrina.

Deep in the fieldBook details how economist Robert Townsend has spent two decades in rural Thailand, exploring the links between household finances and economic growth.

Medieval reading lessonsArthur Bahr’s new book reveals a surprise about 14th-century manuscripts

Robert C. O'Handley, former research scientist, dies at 70Was a longtime researcher in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Q&A with MIT philosopher Sally HaslangerWhat is ‘natural’ and what is ‘social’?

Why are Japanese cartoons a global hit?MIT scholar’s new book heralds ‘creative collaboration’ with the masses as the key to anime’s worldwide popularity.

Preserving cultureMIT historian Lerna Ekmekcioglu explores how women preserve Armenian cultural identity.

Hard times in ChicagoMIT anthropologist’s new book recounts the painful aftermath when steel plants suddenly closed in the American heartland.

The right’s resistance to regulationBook details how conservatives have changed the terms of the environmental debate in recent decades.

AIAA honors David Mindell for ‘Digital Apollo’MIT professor’s book earns Gardner-Lasser Aerospace History Literature Award.

Life in BASICNick Montfort and colleagues examine cultural significance of computer code in new book.

Historian/physicist David Kaiser wins Physics World’s 'Book of the Year Award'Kaiser is the head of MIT's Program in Science, Technology, and Society, and a senior lecturer in the Department of Physics.

Said and Done for November/December 2012Digest of humanities, arts and social sciences

What can logistics do for you?In a new book, an MIT professor argues that investment in global transportation hubs can spur a ‘feedback loop’ of regional growth.

Three awards for MIT research in anthropology, economics and political scienceMikusheva receives Elaine Bennett Research Prize; Petersen wins Distinguished Book Award; Helmreich wins Rachel Carson Prize.

Clearing the airAtmospheric chemist Susan Solomon finds hope in past environmental challenges.

How civil wars evolveMIT political scientist’s book shows how even the bloodiest conflicts feature pragmatic alliances — not just ancient sectarian divisions.