The Nobel Peace Prize is the world’s most prestigious award, as Jay Nordlinger argues in this erudite and insightful history. He has written not only the go-to reference book for the prize and its laureates but also an important philosophical reflection on the nature of “peace” in modern times.

The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama was an extension of European policy that champions consensus over achievement, but while Obama is still rhetorically European, he will continue to act as an American.

Awarding President Obama the Nobel prize, while shocking to many, is merely the logical extension of European, particularly Nordic/Scandinavian, policy for at least the last two decades: as long as one appears to care and says the right things, it does not matter if you do anything useful.

Perhaps Al Gore should run for president in 2008 after all.

Nobel winners Sargent and Sims taught us to set aside our old, nice, simple economic models. We need to heed that lesson today.

We've never had a nerd president. White House correspondents call their gala the 'nerd prom' because it sounds self-deprecating around celebrities and bigwigs.

Of the many factors that make improving the health system difficult, few challenges are greater than the misty-eyed recollection – often from genuinely distinguished practitioners – of how great things used to be.  Doctors were highly regarded authority figures, pure and beloved, while patients were meek and grateful in the presence of such brilliance and expertise.