COVER

Jonathan Franzen: Great American Novelist (Cover)

At a time when the trend in fiction has been toward specialization, Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections and the new Freedom, is a devotee of the all-embracing, way-we-live-now novel

Franzen's Bookshelf

Jonathan Franzen offers his take on five novels that inspired him recently

ESSAY

Bring On the Elites! (The Awesome Column)

Why I want experts sitting on the Supreme Court. And remodeling my kitchen

NATION

After Avandia: Does the FDA Have a Drug Problem? (The Well / Nation)

A TIME investigation of Avandia's journey from lab to pharmacy reveals serious flaws in the way the Food and Drug Administration protects consumers from harmful medicines

WORLD

Cleaning Up Sumo (The Well / World)

Racked by scandal and an influx of foreign competitors, can Japan's most traditional sport keep up with the times?

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Eat Pray Love — Happily Ever After? (Movies)

As a woman in search of herself in Eat Pray Love, the radiant Julia Roberts, as memoir author Elizabeth Gilbert, is second only to the food

The Myth of Fact (Tuned In)

Despite all the evidence, many still believe Obama wasn't born in the U.S. Maybe the truth isn't what it used to be

SOCIETY

Weekday Vegetarians (Life / Going Green)

Yes, they're compromising a principle. But they still get to eat bacon!

SCIENCE

Lake Invaders (The Well / Environment)

Flying, fearsome Asian carp have already taken over much of the Mississippi. Can electrical barriers keep them out of the Great Lakes--or do we need to block the waterways to keep the fish from spreading?

The Fish Are Flying

Photos: Make sure you bring protective gear to the annual event in Bath, Illinois, because these fish jumping, literally, out of the water

Holy Carp! Flying Fish in Illinois

Video: At the annual Redneck Fishing Tournament in Bath, Illinois, put down the pole and grab a net, because these fish will come to you...fast!

PEOPLE

BRIEFING

The Real Winners and Losers of the Colorado Primaries (Washington The Politics Page)

After a confusing flurry of summer primaries leading up to November's midterms, the Aug. 10 Senate contests in Colorado provided some clarity about the mood of the electorate and the parties' prospects for the fall

The Skimmer

Book Review: A World Without Islam by Graham E. Fuller

LETTERS