#1. “The Revenge of Geography” by Robert Kaplan The latest effort by Mr. Kaplan (no relation) is with loaded historical insights and connect-the-dots observations about the Middle East. Unfortunately, it’s also chockfull of literary clunkers like this one: “Mountains are a conservative force, often protecting within their defiles indigenous cultures against the fierce modernizing ideologies...Read More
Appearances vs. Reality Though it doesn’t look it, this 1 1/2 story Longfellow (Minneapolis) home truly packs 5 Bedrooms and 4 Baths into its three finished levels. The explanation for the “appearances vs. reality” mis-match? The home is a walk-out — that is, on a lot that slopes down from the front — and functionally...Read More
Q: What Do You Call That? A: “A Good Investment” When it does it make sense to plunk down $1,000 on cleaning windows? When you own a large, upper bracket home — in the Twin Cities, generally above $1 million — and it’s been sitting for months on the market without showings, let alone an...Read More