Contents over story 29 This might hurt he NHS is facing one of the biggest shake-ups in its history. But is now the right time—and are these the right remedies? sam knight opinions 16 Cavalier cuts apping benefits won’t work as planned, and are unnecessarily draconian. tim leunig 18 What makes China weak hina’s internal weaknesses make its future—and ours—uncertain. george magnus 19 Top tanks ritain’s think tanks punch above their weight. james crabtree 20 Silvio: the next episode erlusconi’s powerful media legacy will outlive him. ferdinando giugliano & john lloyd 21 A GCSE in parenting?

he government’s new poverty tsar is wrong about what will most help struggling families. yvonne roberts dispatches 25 Letter from Ireland hame is good. fintan o’toole 26 Letter from France quabbling socialists. tim king

Features 34 When Britain becomes

“majority minority” White Britons may be in the minority in about 50 years. david coleman 38 The home of bad design

Why can’t we build good quality, affordable homes? ben rogers 44 Exodus he drying up of the Aral sea is threatening a nation. jack shenker 50 No, they can’t

American voters are rejecting their ruling meritocracy. philip bobbitt 54 Has the internet changed science?

ig Data is challenging traditional research methods. elizabeth pisani science & technology 60 Now we are not so sure

Facing up to the uncertainty over global warming. fred pearce 63 Storm in a teacup

A new deal to protect poorer nations from biopiracy. robin powell 64 Meet the new iFamily

How the modern media are changing family life. sonia livingstone arts & books 69 Inside the Anglo-Saxon war machine Bob Woodward’s insider account of the politics of the Afghan war echoes my own experience. matt cavanagh 73 Nothing novel aul Auster’s latest work isn’t that interesting. william skidelsky 74 Expanding their horizons

Government-funded programmes help underprivileged children through music. But might they also redefine art itself ? ivan hewett 77 A Prince among men

Jonathan Powell’s memoir of life in the Blair court has taught me a thing or two, writes niccolo machiavelli 78 The challenge to German liberalism

A new book on multiculturalism has narrowed the gap between the public and politicians. david goodhart

FICTION 84 The premises he VS Pritchett Memorial prizewinning story by michael newton regulars 6 Prospect recommends 10 Diary 11 Dr Pangloss brian eno 12 Everyday philosophy nigel warburton 13 Number cruncher peter kellner 14 Letters plus stephen collins’s cartoon strip. 93 Enigmas & puzzles ian stewart 94 The generalist didymus 95 The Prospect list columnists 5 If I ruled the world viv groskop 8 Political notes anne mcelvoy 65 Sporting life david goldblatt 66 Matters of taste wendell steavenson 96 Dear Wilhemina dispatches 22 Washington watch renegade 23 Brussels diary manneken pis 24 China café mark kitto science & technology 62 Lab report philip ball 64 The month ahead anjana ahuja arts & books 72 Cultural notebook sam leith 76 Performance notes martin kettle 80 Words that think for us edward skidelsky 80 The way we were ian irvine 81 Smallscreen peter bazalgette 82 FiveBooks kwame anthony appiah december 2010 · prospect · 3