Richard D North.

On culture, Nature, liberal issues, monasticism, spirituality

Page 41 of all posts

Casting around in “Fishing In Utopia”

Note: If this were a review, it could have been much shorter and just said: “Buy this book. It’s lovely, sharp and beguiling”. I wanted to write something which drew on the experiences Andrew Brown and I shared, not least but not only at the Independent in the late 1980s. I also wanted to touch on the whole business of memoir- and nature-writing. Read more...

Published

01 January 2010

Filed in

Mind & body, On books

Spiked Online: in a climate muddle

The little Spiked essay introducing its After Copenhagen climate debate lays out a devil-may-care progressive, anti-green agenda. That's good fun. But it doesn't address the difficulty that mankind may have to act on AGW. Read more...

Published

24 December 2009

Filed in

Politics & campaigns

Compare: Cameron & Blair and 1997 & 2010

Here we go again. We are headed for an epoch-making election with an opposition leader who has a horror of authenticity. We don't need atavastic politics, but it is a big danger that we have political stars whose charisma depends on being bland and controlling. Mr Cameron could do far better. Read more...

Published

24 December 2009

Filed in

Mind & body, Politics & campaigns

Eating in the 7th arrondissement

Is this the best eating in Paris? Quite possibly. Here's my case for L'Auberge Bressane, and the neighbourhood food shops, in the "toney" 7th arrondissement. It's all a demonstration of the homage affluence pays to authenticity.  Read more...

Published

11 December 2009

Filed in

Mind & body

A dozen Copenhagen winners

It's a bit early I know but let's assume that there is a weak agreement at Copenhagen that we really, really ought to do something but only what's politically feasible, starting quite soon. Here's a dozen professionals who come away happy. Read more...

Published

04 December 2009

Filed in

Politics & campaigns

Three takes on climate change science

What kind of a beast is climate change? Is it like speeding in a built-up area, puttings cats amongst pidgeons, or stirring jam into custard? Here's why it matters to know which. (I think it's either the pidgeon or the custard thing, and that it would be nicer if it were the pidgeon one.) Read more...

Published

04 December 2009

Filed in

Climate Change (AGW): Let’s take it seriously

Most of the books on global warming science and policy are pretty muddled, hysterical or dreamy by turns. Very few have real quality. Mike Hulme's book, Why We Disagree About Climate Change seems to be in a different class. Read more...

Published

01 December 2009

Filed in

Mind & body, On books, Politics & campaigns
More posts: