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HIS STORY 50Weddings and beheadings HANIF KUREISHI You’ve never heard of me, but you’ve probably seen my work on the news.

WITNESS 54Swing district ERIK TARLOFF Can the Dems win back congress? Ijoined them in Washington state.

COLUMNS 10Matters oftaste ALEX RENTON Is this the end for foie gras?

25Washington watch TUMBLER Could Bloomberg run for president?

41Inefficient markets MICHAEL PREST The crackdown on online gambling.

45France profonde TIM KING A self-portrait of France.

52Lab report PHILIP BALL Is carbon dioxide a pollutant?

57Brussels diary MANNEKEN PIS Verheugen’s red mist.

80Out ofmind ROBERT DRUMMOND &

ALEXANDER LINKLATER Depressed, dying and faithless.

REGULARS 6Letters 8News & Curiosities plus Enigmas & puzzles IAN STEWART 13Numbers game THE CRUNCHER 78The generalist DIDYMUS 79The list

arts&books

68Illuminating opera VERNON BOGDANOR The philosopher Bernard Williams brought a rare vigour and intelligence to writing on opera.

FICTION 58In the jar JULIAN GOUGH Adrift at sea, submerged in olive oil, all my bodily needs are satisfied, and I can dream.

REVIEWS 64The critic as stalker FREDERIC RAPHAEL Fawning and voyeuristic, David Thomson’s paean to his screen idol fails to excite the co-author of the Eyes Wide Shut screenplay.

65The worldwide niche FRANCES CAIRNCROSS The internet is helping revive niche products. But will the power of the big hit be reduced?

67Child’s play HANS KUNDNANI Günter Grass’s revelations about his Nazi past will end the temptation to take his political pronouncements seriously—which is no bad thing.

COLUMNS 62Widescreen MARK COUSINS Israeli suicide myths.

71Between the lines JASON COWLEY It’s Hannibal time again.

72Private view BEN LEWIS Simon Schama versus Kenneth Clark.

77Smallscreen AMY JENKINS Dire political drama from the BBC.

WEB EXCLUSIVES

Tim Winter explains why the Pope got it wrong on Islam

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FORTHCOMING

Henry Tricks on hedge funds

John Keeganexplains what constitutes a civil war

Paul Broks reviews Nicholas Humphrey’s book on consciousness

THE NEXT ISSUE OF PROSPECT IS PUBLISHED ON 16TH NOVEMBER

PROSPECT November 2006 5