I have a large, ever growing, pile of books sent to me by publishers in the hope that I will review them. Smart publishers know that I have an interest in helping you make best use of your (probably limited) book buying budget. I’m even thought to have quite a lot of influence in the […] … learn more→

It’s no secret that our campuses no longer believe in free speech. Ok, that’s a bit hyperbolic, but the riots on campus whenever speakers with a certain point of view try to talk do seem to be a bit more common than in days past. One of the more recent riots (I’m hesitant to say […] … learn more→

The Trump administration wants to change the way the government taxes so-called pass-through entities. In a nutshell, the Trump proposal would dramatically lower the rates this category of filers pay. This would lead to very creative tax planning at best and outright evasion at worst, while prompting more companies to adopt this type of business […] … learn more→

There are various types of co-writing practices. Pretty well all of them involve you working on text that other people have written. This is a sensitive matter. Many people are anxious about their writing and do not enjoy the process of having their words erased and/or replaced. This may be the case with their own […] … learn more→

In a surprise move last week, Purdue University announced its intention to acquire for-profit Kaplan University. If approved, Purdue will become a major player in online education. Its president, former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, described the takeover as a “third dimension” to Purdue, adding Kaplan to its research flagship and regional campuses. Mr. Daniels argued […] … learn more→

Trials of autonomous cars and buses have begun on the streets of Australian cities. Communications companies are moving to deploy the lasers, cameras and centimetre-perfect GPS that will enable a vehicle to navigate the streets of your town or city without a driver. Most research and commentary is telling us how the new machines will […] … learn more→

Every parent dreads the day their child asks where babies come from. But perhaps we should be more concerned about how children learn where other things come from. What do we say when they ask where we get the clothes we wear, the furniture in our homes, the food we eat? Considering the volume of […] … learn more→

  Even a casual inspection of the want ads reveals incredible job demand for people with skill with computers. Alternatively, the cost of hiring someone to fix your computer when there’s a problem reveals that there’s clearly a shortage of people that know what they’re doing with computers. Daily experience with computers would be certain […] … learn more→

President Donald Trump has directed the United States Department of Education to evaluate whether the federal government has “overstepped its legal authority” in the field of education. This is not a new issue in American politics. Ever since the Department of Education became a Cabinet-level agency in 1979, opposition to federalized education has been a […] … learn more→

We all have writing demons. They go by various names – imposters, internal critics, inner editors, blockages, procrastinations … they are nasty and stop you writing. Mostly you wish they’d go away and just leave you be. But I’m here to tell you that you don’t want to get rid of these demons entirely. You […] … learn more→