"Alexander also has doubts about houses of higher learning. "I'm optimistic about learning, but often pessimistic about educational institutions," he says. "This is the best time in human history to be a learner. We have so much access, but college and university business models are often straining at the seams." Rather than seeing these online tools as a way to make money or replace traditional models, Alexander sees them as a way to supplement the brick-and-mortar campus experience. When he thinks of Transforming the University in the 21st Century - the title of his next book - Alexander sees places like his beloved Ann Arbor shifting but still standing."