The U.S. Economy • Ian Frazier • Cleaning China’s Air SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2008 • $4.95 Works in Wood Architecture and ecology in Japan SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2008 VOLUME 111, NUMBER 1 FEATURES 27 The Economic Agenda Six serious challenges facing the next president of the United States by Lawrence H. Summers JON CHASE/HARVARD NEWS OFFICE page 51 32 Greening China DEPARTMENTS Social-science and public-health tools point toward market-based solutions for the fast-growing nation’s severe air-pollution problems 2 Cambridge 02138 by Mun S. Ho and Dale W. Jorgenson Communications from our readers 8 Right Now Teens’ developing brains, 38 Vita: Albert Bickmore N hidden math connections, O Brief life of a museum impresario: 1839-1914 S P M mongoose-guided de-mining, O Victoria Cain H T by L rushed judgment on U A P drug safety page 8 16 Montage 40 Seriously Funny Building with bales, Irish literary pages, Writer Ian Frazier combines the disciplines of historian untangling Enron, a facile forger, writing and humorist for young adults, and more by Craig Lambert 24A New England Regional Section A calendar of seasonal events, auction 44 Works and Woods page 54 action, wine and dining with an Italian An art historian finds a strong and long-lasting accent connection between Japanese architecture and the archipelago’s forest ecology JIM HARRISON 67 The Alumni by Paul Gleason Women rabbis, HAA’s leader as a life-long learner, and more John Harvard’s Journal 72 The College Pump 51 Lowering the Lowell House bells, Medical School The hurricane-softened side of President Conant strategy, community doctoring, behavioral economist, 84 Treasure freshman wake-up call, the University’s first executive Murder and mayhem broadsides vice president, an action plan to reduce greenhouse-gas 73 Crimson Classifieds emissions, balancing faculty expertise and students’ fields of study, early Audubon drawings, engineering On the cover: Art historian as a liberal art, Crimson outpost in China, Allston’s Yukio Lippit in the Japanese free-form science structure, the “Undergraduate” merchant’s house at the Boston Children’s Museum. resumes rookie status, soccer stalwart’s rugged style, Photograph by Jim Harrison and a preview of fall sports ROBERT NEUBECKER page 27 Harvard Magazine 3 www.harvardmagazine.com LETTERS Editor: John S. Rosenberg Senior Editor: Jean Martin Managing Editor: Jonathan S. Shaw Deputy Editor: Craig Lambert 02138 Associate Editor: Elizabeth Gudrais Cambridge Production and New Media Manager: Mark Felton Assistant Editor: Nell Porter Brown Tuberculosis, space and time, military matters Staff Writer: Paul Gleason Associate Web Developer: Blaise Freeman Art Director: Jennifer Carling Acting Art Director: Vera Leung INCOME INEQUALITY Berta Greenwald Ledecky “Unequal america” (July-August, page Undergraduate Fellows Samuel Bjork, Liz Goodwin 22, by Elizabeth Gudrais) suggests that Editorial Intern: some obviously bright, talented Harvard Kameron A. Collins scholars are proposing a solution and are Contributing Editors earnestly in search of a problem to justify their solution. The solution they propose John T. Bethell, John de Cuevas, Adam is a system of redistribution of wealth, Goodheart, Jim Harrison, Harbour Fraser Hodder, Christopher S. Johnson, and the problem they seek to posit as Adam Kirsch, Colleen Lannon, justification is the gap between the most Christopher Reed, Deborah Smullyan, wealthy citizens and the least a±uent. Mark Steele, Janet Tassel The evidence they o≠er in support of Editorial and Business O≠ice their contention that this gap poses a seri- 7 Ware Street, ous problem ranges from slim to none. Nor Cambridge, Mass. 02138-4037 do they o≠er much support for their solu- Tel. 617-495-5746; fax: 617-495-0324 tion. They basically ignore the absence Website: www.harvardmagazine.com from the Constitution of any indication Reader services: that it contemplates such redistribution as the proposal would hardly be embraced by 617-495-5746 or 800-648-4499 a goal, or that it has vested Congress with George Washington. HARVARD MAGAZINE INC. such power. They do candidly imply that The best evidence they can muster in President: Henry Rosovsky, JF ’57, Ph.D. ’59, LL.D. ’98. Directors: Richard SOCIAL-SCIENCE SOLUTIONS H. Gilman, M.B.A. ’83, Leslie E. Harvard has formidable strengths in the social sciences (see “Harvard by the Greis ’80, Alex S. Jones, NF ’82, Bill Numbers,” page 58). In this issue, we highlight some of that expertise, inviting two Kovach, NF ’89, Tamara Elliott Rogers ’74, Kay Kaufman Shelemay, senior faculty members and a colleague to illuminate pressing current issues. A. Clayton Spencer, A.M. ’82, Richard Tuck Eliot University Professor Lawrence H. Summers o≠ers a synoptic overview of Harvard Magazine (ISSN 0095-2427) is published bimonthly the economic challenges facing the next president of the United States (“The Eco- by Harvard Magazine Inc., a nonprofit corporation, 7 Ware Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02138-4037, phone 617- nomic Agenda,” page 27). Drawing on a range of current data and research, and his 495-5746; fax 617-495-0324. The magazine is supported by own experience at the World Bank and U.S. Department of the Treasury, Summers reader contributions and subscriptions, advertising rev- enue, and a subvention from Harvard University. Its edi- vividly illustrates the value of the broader, longer-term perspective that the acad- torial content is the responsibility of the editors. Periodi- emy can lend to policymakers—even as he suggests priorities, ranging from up- cals postage paid at Boston, Mass., and additional mailing o≠ices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Circulation dated regulation to the embrace of globalization, that may discomfit public leaders Department, Harvard Magazine, 7 Ware Street, Cam- bridge, Mass. 02138-4037. Subscription rate $30 a year in from across the political spectrum. U.S. and possessions, $55 Canada and Mexico, $75 other Morris University Professor Dale W. Jorgenson and Mun S. Ho, a fellow of the In- foreign. (Allow up to 10 weeks for first delivery.) Sub- scription orders and customer service inquiries should be stitute for Quantitative Social Science, address China’s severe air pollution. Their sent to the Circulation Department, Harvard Magazine, 7 article is the latest fruit of the University Center on the Environment’s interdisci- Ware Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02138-4037, or call 617- 495-5746 or 800-648-4499, or e-mail addresschanges@har- plinary China Project. That multiyear e≠ort, involving American and Chinese schol- vard.edu. Single copies $4.95, plus $2.50 for postage and handling. Manuscript submissions are welcome, but we ars, aims to understand China’s atmospheric environment, to quantify pollution cannot assume responsibility for safekeeping. Include and health e≠ects, and to find solutions. Jorgenson and Ho’s essay (“Greening stamped, self-addressed envelope for manuscript re- turn. Persons wishing to reprint any portion of Harvard China,” page 32) showcases the use of current social-science and public-health Magazine’s contents are required to write in advance for permission. Address inquiries to Catherine A. techniques to devise e∞cient pollution-control policies—with clear implications Chute, publisher, at the address given above. for the larger problem of global warming as well. The Editors Copyright © 2008 Harvard Magazine Inc. 2 September - October 2008 Certifi ed Pre-Owned Three years old BMW and still better than most things new. bmwusa.com/cpo The Ultimate 1-800-334-4BMW Driving Machine® After rigorous inspections only the most pristine vehicles are chosen. That’s why we offer a warranty for up to 6 years or 100,000 miles.* In fact, a Certifi ed Pre-Owned BMW looks so good and performs so well it’s hard to believe it’s pre-owned. 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The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks. 133533_1_v1 1 5/6/08 7:48:02 PM LETTERS support of their proposal is the experi- ridiculously overpaid, such as many ence of the Scandinavian countries, yet CEOs, Wall Street investment bankers, they do not mention that these countries professional athletes, and entertainment have in recent years tried to step back celebrities, it loses much of its appeal from their extreme cradle-to-grave wel- when it’s applied to most of us and, I Publisher: Catherine A. Chute fare systems. should think, when applied to Harvard Finance and Administrative Manager The proposal for redistribution of faculty. I don’t have so much confidence Irina Kuksin Director of Circulation and Fundraising wealth is in e≠ect a proposal to soak the in the Congress that I want them decid- rich, a populist approach that most of us ing in e≠ect what each of us is worth. Be- Felecia Carter Integrated Marketing Director probably don’t get very excited about. sides, that has never been their purpose. Henry C. Roemer Jr. ’45 Cara Ferragamo Murray Unfortunately, experience teaches that Director of Advertising soaking the rich never brings in enough Winston-Salem, N.C. Robert D. Fitta revenue to satisfy the ever expanding, in- Advertising Account Manager “Unequal america” satiable needs of a tax-and-spend govern- dissects a growing Myha Danner ment—eventually the taxing authority problem that badly needs dissection! I Integrated Marketing Design Manager reaches ever deeper until it punishes all of hope it will lead to much less inequality Jennifer Beaumont us, just as is the case in Scandinavia.