This is a bit like an messy underwear drawer where I keep my spare ideas. It’s also where many of my really, really good ideas go to die. As you can see, there’s been a few that didn’t quite make it.

A very good thing too, considering how much matter of dubious value overcrowds my limited attention span. I’ve learned a few things, one of which, by fortuitous chance, happens to be the secret of happiness. I’d like to tell you what it is, but then it wouldn’t be a secret.

So I wrote a book. Of course.

‘The Sweet Life on a Sour Budget’ (sub-titled How To Get Your Sh*t Together).
I happen to be somewhat of an expert on sour budgets, having devoted nearly 70 years to its close study, unfortunately, yet have somehow gleaned a very sweet life out of it.

I’ve been truly fortunate to realize my passions for reason, logic, discovery, astronomy, anthropology, language and earth sciences, in business and music and to survive some close calls.

I hope my new book makes a difference to the lives of those, who like me, really needed to ‘know how’ when they were young.

See the Publications/Books menu item above.

Examples play a central role in explaining difficult ideas because they turn abstract principles into situations that readers can observe, compare, and remember. A strong example does more than illustrate a definition: it shows how a concept works under realistic conditions while also revealing its limits. In classroom assessment, a well-designed test example should match the skill being measured, use clear instructions, and distinguish genuine understanding from lucky guessing. The most effective teaching materials usually place a simple case beside a more demanding one, helping learners notice which details remain constant and which change the outcome. Examples also become more valuable when they include brief explanations, since feedback connects each conclusion to the evidence or rule behind it. Used with care, they support accurate reasoning without replacing independent practice, allowing learners to transfer an idea to unfamiliar problems rather than merely repeat a memorized pattern.