Tasnim Shamma

A small but growing number of people across the country are opting to decompose directly into the earth. In a 2007 survey by the AARP, 21 percent of Americans older than 50 said they would prefer an ecofriendly end-of-life ritual.

When most public figures ran the other way, Sarah Palin showed her support for Dr. Laura Schlessinger and advised Americans to "b thankful 4 her voice." Schlessinger, a prominent radio-show host, repeatedly used the N word while talking to a black caller who was asking for advice about how to deal with racist remarks. Here are some other memorable tweets from the former governor.

California is in serious trouble, and it's precisely because the state keeps trying to fix itself. Propositions and ballot initiatives, which are supposed to be democratic, instead end up at odds with each other and prove to be self-defeating. Here's how to fix the Golden State.

Ronald Kessler is such a skilled storyteller, you almost forget this is dead-serious nonfiction. Here's how the Secret Service has protected the last 10 presidents, as told by current and former agents.

Reading this book won't make you any younger, but you will learn a lot about getting old. The race to find today's fountain of youth, which is a story of scientists, investors, pharmaceutical companies, and lab rats, is getting close to real results.

The medical-marijuana market, which is legal in 14 states and under consideration in at least 12 others, may benefit sick people. But it has proved a headache for regulators. Unlicensed dispensaries, crooked doctors, and fake medical-need cases have plagued early adopters like Colorado and California.

It's not called a "manifesto" for nothing. In six short chapters, Ramos humanizes undocumented immigrants, argues why you should care, and explains why reform is needed now. Above all, it's an inspiring book that, if passionate to a fault, is soundly reasoned.

This how-to-survive-the-digital-age handbook is part self-help guide, part memoir, and part research paper. Fortunately, it doesn't read like one.

If you're familiar with the phrase, "You are what you eat", you know the first step to staying healthy is to eat the right foods and know how much is enough.

Can you guess which of America's favorite entrepreneurs, celebrities, and athletes were nerds in high school? Take our quiz to find out what these stars were like as teens and where their high school ranks on NEWSWEEK's 2010 America's Best High Schools list.

Western Cinema has always been fascinated by sexed-up imagery of Arabian knights, Persian queens, and shirtless warriors