I have fond memories of the start of the academic year, whether it was grade school or university. One such memory is bringing home my brand-new textbooks from the university bookstore. I love the feeling of opening up a new book—such promise, such potential. But the truth of the matter was that I never thought I learned much from books assigned in my university courses. It seemed there was either a total disconnect with what happened in class or lab or it was an exact replica. I felt a lot like Sally, Charlie Brown’s little sister in the famous Charles Schultz cartoon strip. She’s always asking, “Who cares?” Maybe she wanted her teachers to be more explicit about the book’s relevance.
