The December Cover (image) What Should Children Learn? The recent debate over federal guidelines for the teaching of history stirred rancor on both left and right--and the guidelines were dropped. But standards are badly needed in all subject areas, the author, a noted educator, argues. by Paul Gagnon The Undiscovered World of Thomas Edison Only recently have the inventor's papers been examined systematically. They are revising our view of how he thought and worked. by Kathleen McAuliffe A French Mirror In many ways France is taking an approach towards the twenty-first century that America, alas, would find hard to emulate. by Hans Koning

Reports Notes & Comment: Surviving Deer Season The double-edged lessons of hunting. by Castle Freeman Jr. Environment: An Element of Doubt Lead's widespread reputation as a pervasive menace may not be wholly deserved. by Ellen Ruppel Shell Economic Development: The Barefoot Bank With Cheek A bank in Bangladesh that lends mostly to women has an extraordinary track record. by David Bornstein Brief Lives: The Transatlantic Look A visit with the designer Joseph Abboud. by Jack Beatty Fiction & Poetry The Happy Memories Club A short story by Lee Smith Night Terrors That Away From Me A poem by Alan Shapiro Progress Report A poem by George Mills The Accident A poem by Erica Funkhouser Browse and search The Atlantic's online archive. The seahorse symbol indicates that an article is supplemented with additional Atlantic material, such as related articles, audio, or special online sidebars.		Arts & Leisure Travel: Hallowed Ground Jerusalem and elsewhere in the Holy Land through the eyes of a first-time visitor (with a note on dining in Tel Aviv, by Corby Kummer). by Cullen Murphy Movies: Realized Ambitions On the new movie Wild Bill and its director, Walter Hill. by Michael Sragow Food: Don't Call It Cognac Some of the best cognac-style brandy is American. by Corby Kummer Books The Conservative 1960s Turning Right in the Sixties: The Conservative Capture of the GOP, by Mary C. Brennan by Matthew Dallek Brief Reviews by Phoebe-Lou Adams Other Departments 745 Boylston Street Contributors Letters (Send a letter to the editor.) The December Almanac Word Watch by Anne H. Soukhanov Note: some material from the print magazine is not available online, at the request of the authors.
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