Emotions, smoking, and how to avoid a broken heart

OF THE TEN unopened tabs inundating my web browser (Chromium, if you're curious) at any given time there emerge one or two—okay, maybe three—interesting sites that make me think, "My friends are going to like this." 

Instead of sharing them in Facebook, which I think is already bursting with information, most of it useless, I hope to share links that I find useful and interesting—and I hope you will, too. I'm going ahead of myself, but the links will most likely be about Christianity, books/literature, science, medicine, and photography—topics that engage me the most—but who knows? I might just link into politics, comedy, and show business.

I don't intend to do this weekly but only if I have extra time. So Dear Readers (and I know there are only a few of you), here's the first dose of interesting links. I may look like a trying hard Kottke, but I'm having fun.

*  *  *

Researchers have analyzed the emotional content of books using a text-analysis tool called Word Affect. The results? English-language books have become less emotional in the 20th century. (via NYT)

Online magazine Granta publishes Salman Rushdie's 1983 short story, The Golden Bough, which you can read for free.


Salman Rushdie (HT: Granta Magazine)

Is it ethical to not hire smokers in the workplace? (via NEJM)

C.S. Lewis on how to avoid a broken heart. It reminds me of Jon McLaughlin's Indiana, a sobering song about a love that could never be.

"In my spare time" or "on my spare time"? The answer here.