In Essence

The top 35 pop artists worldwide now earn most of their money from concerts, not recordings.

Something seems to be missing from modern literature: a little levity.

Contaminating food supplies are a tempting terrorist tactic. Just look at several anthrax outbreaks for a glimpse at the potential devastation.

An observer notes the Supreme Court's steady move to the right, accomplished, almost without notice or comment, by removing the court's left-leaning justices.

Off-site meetings for sales staff and other groups are a vast and largely untracked are of business expense. Are they worth it? You probably already know the answer.

Philanthropists would get much more bang for their buck if they looked at factors beyond their old school ties.

Today, a wide-ranging palate is the mark of a snooty foodie.

Many school districts boost a teacher's salary if he or she gets a master's degree, but there's no sign that their students' scores improve.

A new study shows that newspapers make a lot of mistakes, even in the limited instances when they publish a correction.

Book review sections almost universally are loss leaders, but without them, says one former editor, "the good society vanishes and barbarism triumphs."

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