Culture

Back to basics

Laurie Taylor flexes his muscles

Roots

Caspar Melville unravels the rise and fall of dreadlocks

Magical mystery tour

Natalie Haynes goes in search of spiritual enlightenment

Caution, falling moguls

Is he a loser, a kvetcher, a fatalist or a comic genius? Michael Bywater goes in search of the real Woody Allen

Religion is bullshit

From philosophy to fart jokes George Carlin always got there first, says Robin Ince

Mistaken identity

Obsessing about culture traps people in their own history, argues Kenan Malik

Revolutionising Tom Paine

Recording his new radio play, Trevor Griffiths discovered the true revolutionary spirit of Tom Paine

Torch bearers

Politics, religion and money may be wrestling to control the Olympics. But, argues Paul Sims, they’ll never be a match for the sheer drama

Art or puffery? A defence of advertising

An adman for almost 50 years Winston Fletcher explores the art, and ethics, of the sell

The Sun and Moon Corrupted by Philip Ball

Philip Womack enjoys a popular scientist's debut novel