Everything must be useful – History’s most boring idea

By Giles Pickford. I am looking at the lead story in Issue 275, titled “G8 must recognise role of universities in recovery”. I have a first-class honours degree in English literature from the University of Western Australia. They are not easy to get. I got mine in 1962. I am now 71 years old and more or less retired. When I was doing my degree years ago my friends would ask me whether I was aiming at being a taxi driver. They were all doing the “useful” degrees like agriculture, engineering, accountancy, law etc. Read more...