Articles of note

How a different America responded to the Great Depression, Pew Research Center, by Jodie T Allen. Opinion poll evidence suggests Americans were more optimistic in the late 1930s than they are now.

A Czar is born, Claremont Review of Books, Joseph Postell. A review of books by Cass Sunstein including Nudge.

Matt Ridley on technology, optimism and how it’s all going to be fine, the Browser (previously Five Books). The Rational Optimist discusses five books that are upbeat about the potential for technology to bring progress.

Roger J Pielke Jr on climate change innovation, the Browser. Discussion of five key books on the subject.

The Climate Connection 2010, BBC World Service. Series of radio programmes on climate change. Generally assumes that curbing consumption and modifying behaviour is the only way to tackle the problem.

Microfinance guru under pressure: Muhammad Yunus fights to save his reputation, Spiegel, by Hasnain Kazim. More on the crisis of microfinance.