'This is a very good book indeed, penetrating in its analysis, firmly based on recent empirical work and measured in its tone … full of interesting and enlightening material … If you want to understand the university you work in, and why it is that way, and what you can do about it, and why you should bother, this well-researched, well-written and well-produced book is a great place to start.' Australian Universities' Review

'The real value of reading this book lies in its dual capacity to offer not only a close analysis of current executive, institutional and research power in university governance in those institutions studied, but also a global post-mortem, so to speak, of how universities have come to a state where their roles have become worrying unstable and their identities fragile, usefully elaborating the history of higher education in Australia as a specific case in point … There are many who would find this book of value. From the point of view of relevance, any professional who works in a university, or has governance within or of a university, would find it illuminating, as would too our political leaders I suspect. A further and final pleasure to note is the elegance, and sometimes wit, with which this book is written.' Higher Education