Did the Beatles destroy rock 'n' roll?

This is a Q&A with the author of a new book on the history of American pop music, who looks past the most famous artists to those who were popular in their own time. We talked about the origins of rock 'n' roll's racial divide, the way technology is changing the way we listen, and the future of music.

Fixing Our Dangerous Roads

A new W.H.O. report makes the case for road repair as an economic boon.

Goodbye, Rabbit Ears

On the day we said goodbye to analog TV, a brief history of television.

A Brief History of Bankruptcy

With GM going belly-up, my piece in this week's issue looks back at bankruptcy over the years. (One of the Constitutional Convention delegates even went broke.)