he asks. First, here are four new stories from The Atlantic’s Books section: The proposal is a modest one. And Lambert isn’t the first to consider it; the idea has been bubbling for years.

Education is at a precipice. Thus, in the spirit of Jonathan Swift, I have spent many minutes constructing my own modest proposal: We will begin by eating the books. The hearty tomes—Shakespeare ...

Unless there is something that can happen in the near future, perhaps this idea of a limited improvement and use is something ...