Evolution textbooks row goes to court

A suburban American school board found itself in court yesterday after it tried to placate Christian fundamentalist parents by placing a sticker on its science textbooks saying evolution was 'a theory, not a fact'.

English originals

Matthew Collin assesses biographies of three nonconformist 1980s stars, Elvis Costello, Morrissey and Kirstie MacColl.

Works of genius

Calina de la Mare enjoys Toby Faber's Stradivarius, a history of six of the Italian's violins

Crazy diamonds

Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt's XS All Areas and Nick Mason's Inside Out are two very different rock biographies, says David Sinclair.

Works of genius

Calina de la Mare enjoys Stradivarius, Toby Faber's history of six violins crafted by the Italian master.

Searching for a better way

Pankaj Mishra's An End to Suffering is an investigation into Buddhism that intrigues Andrew Brown

Poetry in motion

David McKie: Why is it that so many who never miss the latest Pinter or David Hare or Alan Bennett in the theatre, who like to drown in Mozart or Mahler, cannot connect with poetry?

Brave old world

In an extract from a new book, Max Morris recalls how he played his part in delivering a great Labour education project: the creation of the comprehensives.

At home with the creator spiritus

Gustav Mahler's letters to his wife are sometimes too painful to read, writes Alan Hollinghurst.

The bad girl of Rome

Kathryn Hughes appreciates Sarah Bradford's reappraisal of the infamous Lucrezia Borgia.

Breasts, bottoms and so forth

Desmond Morris rightly admires the beauty of the female hand in The Naked Woman, says Catherine Bennett. But has he never seen a bunion?

The society of swine

Lyall Watson's The Whole Hog and Fergus Henderson's Nose To Tail Eating are enough to get Ian Sansom reaching for the pork scratchings.

Not just a pretty face

Eric Ives revisits the life of Henry VIII's most influential queen with The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. But do we learn anything new?