Today’s What We’re Reading features a critical look at the state of history museums, a new history video game, tips for negotiating an academic job offer, the rapidly rotting Million Dollar Homepage, and much more!
History Links
An insightful reflection on why debates about “public intellectuals” often generate more heat than light.
New Insights into History May Skew the Big Picture
New York Times museum critic Edward Rothstein offers a pessimistic assessment of the state of history museums and the effect of “revisionist history” on the way museums portray the past.
I Love It When a Game Gets Brave with History
From the developer’s description of the new video game Betrayer: “The year is 1604. You sailed from England expecting to join a struggling colony on the coast of Virginia. Instead, you find only ghosts and mysteries.” And plenty of things to shoot at, of course.
In Roll Call, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan defend the 1906 Antiquities Act, which allowed presidents to streamline the creation of national parks and which is now facing criticism and possible revision by Congress. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is calling for action.
The Briton Who Befriended Sheikhs and Formed an Army in Ras Al Khaimah, His True Home
The story of a British soldier who was asked to form a private army in 1969 in the United Arab Emirates.
Professional Matters
The Chronicle of Higher Education blog provides advice on negotiating an academic job offer.
Trouble Recruiting Top Faculty? Promote Collaboration
Chase F. Robinson, president of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, explains how a public university recruits top faculty.
Should Academic Online Behavior Go to Court?
Tenured Radical discusses online civility and poignantly asks readers, “Why aren’t we being proactive, and crafting the academic web that we want to see?”
Physicists, Generals and CEOs Agree: Ditch the PowerPoint
Is PowerPoint a “straightjacket on discussion”? A “glass barrier” between speaker and audience? A revolt against the software is brewing in among some of its heaviest users, according to NPR.
In the New York Times, Danny Heitman uses just over 1,000 words to explain why you shouldn’t use so many words.
Exhibitions and Digital Projects
Creative Dissent: Arts of the Arab World Uprisings
Curated by Christiane Gruber and Nama Khalil, this exhibit is a collaboration with the Arab American National Museum.
Digital Projects Showcased in Monterey
Public History Commons reports on digital projects showcased during the lightning round at the recent National Council on Public History conference.
An impressive attempt to use visualization to compare human eyesight with that of other animals, including cats, bees, snakes, and more.
Fun and Off-Beat
The Million Dollar Homepage Still Exists, but 22% of It Has Rotted Away
What is link rot? David Yanofsky discusses this and the current state of the former viral sensation, Million Dollar Homepage.
This post first appeared on AHA Today.
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