Book Review: 'the Favorites' By Mary Yukari Waters

“The Norm Chronicles: Stories and Numbers About Danger and Death” is a kinetic trip through the percentages of risk and the primacy of perceptions.

Last summer, “Sharknado” struck a world entirely unprepared. The SyFy documentary about a hurricane that blew ravenous sharks all over Los Angeles caused a tidal wave of excitement — mostly on Twitter, the official social media platform of the Apocalypse. Read full article >>

The average Indian earns less than the average Chinese. But it's in New Delhi—not Beijing—where you can call the prime minister an idiot without worrying about a knock on the door.

Washington Post romance columnist Sarah MacLean won a RITA Award Saturday night for her latest romance novel, “No Good Duke Goes Unpunished” (Avon). The RITA Awards are presented annually by the Romance Writers of America, an association of about 10,000 authors and publishers. MacLean took the prize for best historical romance at the ceremony held in San Antonio, Texas.

All of William T. Vollmann’s future books will have been written by a ghost. He assures readers of this much in his note at the beginning of his latest short story collection, “Last Stories and Other Stories.”

The Saturday Essay: How can rich countries best help poor ones? Matt Ridley identifies five priorities that provide the biggest benefits for every dollar spent.