Victor S. Navasky Book order (chronological)

Victor S. Navasky is the renowned editor, writer, and teacher who has been at the helm of "The Nation" for almost thirty years. "A Matter of Opinion," a scintillating reflection on his journalistic experiences, is also an extraordinary political document-a spirited, provocative argument for independent journals of opinion as vital to the health of democracy. Whether at the satirical magazine "Monocle" (which he founded when he was in law school), or at "The New York Times," or finally at "The Nation," Navasky's commitment to political engagement and to the social and intellectual values of independent cultural activity has always been front and center. In a wonderfully entertaining narrative, he tells of his innovative efforts to find money to keep "The Nation" afloat and to keep its pages lively, honest, and relevant, and he embellishes it with unforgettable stories-about his colleagues and opponents, from E. L. Doctorow to Bill Buckley; his heroes, from I. F. Stone to Jurgen Habermas; and his precedessors, from Daniel Defoe to Carey McWilliams. Navasky's accomplishments have been legion, despite the threats of revenue-driven multinational media corporations, and despite the sometimes ugly, sometimes hilarious problems that fearless muckrakers face in any culture. "A Matter of Opinion" is a passionately written, irresistibly charming account of a great journalistic tradition.

Did you ever feel that the experts might not be as knowledgeable as they claim? Historical misjudgments abound, such as Irving Fisher's prediction of a "permanently high plateau" for stocks just before the 1929 crash, or Decca's dismissal of the Beatles in 1962. From the belief that Civil War films wouldn’t succeed to the skepticism about Japanese cars in the 1960s, experts have consistently missed the mark. Notably, the president of Digital Equipment Corporation asserted in 1977 that home computers were unnecessary, and The Wall Street Journal confidently predicted in 1995 that Bill Clinton would lose to any competent Republican. This work systematically catalogs these miscalculations, misunderstandings, and outright errors from experts across various fields, including economics, politics, and science. In this expanded edition, the collection illustrates the vast scope of expert misjudgment while also offering a reflective narrative on human knowledge. It explores the contrast between what was believed and what has been proven true, revealing the limitations of expert insight throughout history.