ABSTRACT
If this were a better world, or at least this were a better book, or perhaps even if I were a better author, I would depart with the traditional academic flourish and roll of scholarly drums: succinct recapitulation of major issues and problems; orderly recommendations and systematic solutions flowing inexorably from the identification of issues and problems; and an uplifting peroration. Such a final chapter is, of course, impossible. My colleagues and I are ourselves often confused by some current trends, although in many instances (perhaps more than some readers will find plausible) we believe our suggestions and recommendations are reasonable despite our incomplete understanding of the trends. Even when we believe we comprehend the trends in some depth and detail, we are often not sure what, if anything, can be done about them.
