Farmers' markets, community gardens, the push for more local, organic food -- what's often called the alternative food movement is all the rage. But are there any downsides? Julie Guthman contends that the movement, inasmuch as it views consumer choice as the primary vehicle for change, can and will have limited impact on the industrial food status quo. She also challenges claims made about obesity and its causes.

The fact of glaring inequalities in income and wealth has been placed front and center by the Occupy movement. But where, in this country, does poverty reside? Margaret Weir describes the dramatically shifting geography of inequality and poverty in metropolitan areas. She also highlights the suburbanization of poverty, as well as the strong anti-poor bias built into local policymaking.

Some nations' populations do better than others. They are, on average, healthier, and they live happier lives. Why is this? Is it because some countries are richer, or because their residents have higher living standards? In a new book, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett show that higher levels of health and social problems occur in societies with greater income inequality.