A copy of the Magna Carta that dates from 1297--the only copy of the Magna Carta in the United States--was auctioned by Sotheby’s yesterday, fetching $21.3 million from David Rubenstein, a lawyer and founder of the Carlyle Group. And it looks like it will be going “home.” "I am really just a temporary custodian," said Rubenstein , who intends to return the document to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., where it had been on display previously.

Whether you’re looking for a last-minute holiday gift idea for a lapsed bibliophile , or just curious how your favorite books of the past 12 months have been ranked by the “experts,” check out who listed what as the best reads of 2007 at the Los Angeles Times , the National Book Critics Circle , New York magazine, the New York Times , Publishers Weekly , Salon , Slate , the Village Voice , and the Washington Post .

And while we’re on the subject of recommended reading, have you noticed the Free Library’s new Popular Reading Booklists that allow you to peruse and click directly into the Library’s online catalog? Check them out here .

The University of Pennsylvania’s 60-Second Lecture Series offers an excellent repository of thought-provoking distractions. Check out the Fall 2007 series here . With topics ranging from “Death and Body Fluids (or Why Religion is Important)” to “Freudian Time” to "Language Change in Philadelphia," there’s bound to be something that catches your interest.

Yes, such a thing does exist. Since September, folks at the Nobel Foundation have been adding videos of Nobel Prize announcements, interviews with Nobel Laureates, and official Nobel Lectures. Check it out .