July/August 2005 Issue

The Subtitle That Saved Civilization

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Books may not be more interesting these days (or even better written), but a quick spin through their dust jackets makes one thing clear: Their subjects are crucial—crucial—to the very bedrock upon which our civilization rests. Some recent titles:

Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan

Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky

How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Thomas E. Woods Jr.

How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe’s Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It by Arthur Herman

How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill

How the Hungarians Saved Western Civilization by Zoltán Deák

How the Homosexuals Saved Civilization: The True and Heroic
Story of How Gay Men Shaped the Modern World by Cathy Crimmins

The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece–and Western Civilization by Barry Strauss

PugSpotting: A True History of How Pugs Saved Civilization by Susanne McCaffery-Saville

If you buy a book using a Bookshop link on this page, a small share of the proceeds supports our journalism.

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LET’S TALK ABOUT OPTIMISM FOR A CHANGE

Democracy and journalism are in crisis mode—and have been for a while. So how about doing something different?

Mother Jones did. We just merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting, bringing the radio show Reveal, the documentary film team CIR Studios, and Mother Jones together as one bigger, bolder investigative journalism nonprofit.

And this is the first time we’re asking you to support the new organization we’re building. In “Less Dreading, More Doing,” we lay it all out for you: why we merged, how we’re stronger together, why we’re optimistic about the work ahead, and why we need to raise the First $500,000 in online donations by June 22.

It won’t be easy. There are many exciting new things to share with you, but spoiler: Wiggle room in our budget is not among them. We can’t afford missing these goals. We need this to be a big one. Falling flat would be utterly devastating right now.

A First $500,000 donation of $500, $50, or $5 would mean the world to us—a signal that you believe in the power of independent investigative reporting like we do. And whether you can pitch in or not, we have a free Strengthen Journalism sticker for you so you can help us spread the word and make the most of this huge moment.

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