Issue Contents

July-Aug 2009: 26 Things Guaranteed To Make You Smile

Cover Story:

C'mon, Get Happy! 26 Things Guaranteed to Make You Smile

By ethan Trex
Yes, we know all about the bad economy and that rake your neighbor borrowed but never returned. But we're giving you 26 new reasons to turn your grumbling into a grin. Join us as we explore an A to Z of kitschy, lumpy, musical, nonsensical, overcritical, playful, quirky, ridiculous stuff. You'll learn how cotton candy is helping us live longer, how modern art is preventing pollution, and why a little more smiling just might save your marriage!

Features:

The Genius of the Joy of Cooking

By tim farrell
From the lean days of the Great Depression to the skinny days of whatever it is we're in right now, Americans have turned to the Joy of Cooking. Why? Because the book is about more than baking a better casserole; it's about building a better life.

Born to Run: 7 Incredible Escape Stories

By Erik Sass
What do Winston Churchill, Geronimo, and the Dalai Lama have in common? They're all amazing escape artists! Erik Sass goes on the lam to uncover the 7 most daring getaways in history.

Toilet Paper: How America Convinced the World to Wipe

By linda rodriguez
Nothing says prosperity like flushing away your disposable income. The story of toilet paper is also the story of capitalism's global spread--and it begins right here in the USA.

scatter_brained:

Spices

What do you get when you mix a dash of psychedelic spices, a few thousand gallons of milk, and a dollop of the White House's special sandwich sauce? Our tangiest Scatterbrained yet! Plus, you'll discover the secret life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (he believed in fairies) and get a peek inside the clock that will tick for 10,000 years.

right_brain:

Masterpiece #90: Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

By linda Rodriguez
In her 1926 breakout novel, the Queen of Crime taught the world to suspect everyone, both on and off the page.

left_brain:

How weather trading works

By Greg Sabin
People who bet on the elements are crazy--crazy rich, that is. We've got the skinny on how savvy investors are using weather futures to make it rain.

architecture 2050: 5 Places to live in the future

By brendan spiegel
When architects can turn water into land, and engineers can power entire cities on pond scum, the real estate listings are going to start looking a lot different. Turn to page 30 to get the first glimpse.

50-Cent Tour

Wales

By linda Rodriguez
In Wales, teens loiter in castles, men outrun horses, and reality TV shows are about coal miners. Wales may be a part of the U.K., but it's got a culture all its own.

the_quiz

By kara kovalchik and sandy wood

six degrees of ken jennings

virgin mobile and virgin mary

by ken jennings

back page: lightning round lists

by stacy conradt