Fictitious Lawyers

Joseph O’Neill is a very smart man and an extremely talented writer.  In 2008 he garnered critical acclaim for Netherland, one of my favorite recent novels, a powerful book about loss and regaining life after the attacks on 9/11.  It is a wonderful work of fiction and and a worthwhile read. I gained a deeper understanding…

The Educator’s Dilemma

Mark Kurlansky’s The Last Fish Tale: the fate of the Atlantic and survival in Gloucester, America’s oldest fishing port and most original town is not a particularly good book. Written without great care and poorly thought through, the book teases with the engaging anecdote and arresting observation, but disappoints when it comes to more substantive…

What We Are and What Our Children Eat

Food is no longer just food. It is a statement, a value, a marker and a signifier. Food has political value and it is freighted with meaning. What we eat, and what are children eat, is no simple matter. Stepping beyond the perspective of a father encouraging his children to consider a balanced plate, what…

Zeitoun: What’s the Solution?

Dave Eggers’ Zeitoun is an award-winning work of narrative non-fiction. Lauded enthusiastically and critically acclaimed, Zeitoun chronicles the life of Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. Written in a economical style, akin to dramatic journalism, the book unfolds gracefully, pulling the reader into a Job-like story. The Zeitouns ran a successful…

Change and Trust in Higher Education

In recent years the need for change in higher education has become a recurrent refrain. Institutions need to change, faculty need to change, curricula need to change – and recognition of this is widely shared within and outside of the academy. The world and our students are changing at a rapid pace. Higher education, to…

Colossus – Building the Hoover Dam

Good popular history combines the rigor of academic historical scholarship with accessible, lively prose. Good popular history is about telling a story with heroes, villains, drama and resolution. Popular historians can situate their subjects within broader historical questions. Most importantly, good popular history takes a complicated story and renders it in human scale. Popular history…

Commencing a Rethink

Late spring the season higher education celebrates and sends forth its graduates, usually with pomp, circumstance and oration. The commencement address, often given by an honorary degree recipient and friend of the institution, figures prominently in this ritual. It has long been a fixture of academia, with commencement addresses taking place in the United States…