I left academe in order to devote full time to educational ventures on a larger scale. This move grew from my association with Roger Schank, first in his Artificial Intelligence Group at Yale, then in his Institute for the Learning Sciences, at Northwestern University, and still later in his activities at Carnegie-Mellon University, Engines for Education, Socratic Arts, and Grandview School. I am currently participating in the development of his new Virtual International Science and Technology Academy. Roger’s view of learning, to which I subscribe completely, may be paraphrased as “They will learn only what they want to learn, and only when they want it in service of a goal.”

The eighth edition of my biology textbook, coauthored by David Sadava, Craig Heller, Gordon Orians and David M. Hillis appeared at the end of 2006. For information about that edition, see W. H. Freeman.

Another activity focused on The Mona Group LLC. The Mona Group LLC combined the diverse talents of its partners (pedagogy and scientific content, programming, art, animation, and publishing) to design, develop, produce, manufacture, and market interactive multimedia educational software products. I was a founding partner in this venture, which closed up shop in 2005.

It’s been a long time since I have published in plant physiology . . .

The following items are more typical of my current activity:

Sadava, D., H. C. Heller, G. H. Orians, W. K. Purves and David M. Hillis. 2007. Life: The Science of Biology, 8th ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, and W. H. Freeman, New York.  

Purves, W. K., D. Sadava, G. H. Orians, and H. C. Heller. 2004. Life:The Science of Biology, 7th ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, and W. H. Freeman, New York.

Purves, W. K. 2002. What makes spider silk so strong? Scientific American “Ask the Experts”

Purves, W. K. 2002. How can an artificial sweetener have no calories? Scientific American “Ask the Experts”

Purves, W. K. 2001. Why don’t our digestive acids corrode our stomach linings? Scientific American “Ask the Experts”

Purves, W. K., D. Sadava, G. H. Orians, and H. C. Heller. 2001. Life:The Science of Biology, 6th ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, and W. H. Freeman, New York.

Purves, W. K. 2000. StemLab: An Environment for Learning. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Campbell, M. K., Lue, R., Fixsen, W., and Purves, W. K. 1999. UNDERSTAND! Biochemistry. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Purves, W. K. and M. E. Williams. 1998. Computers and Learning. Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing (AIEDAM) 12: 47-48.

Purves, W. K. 1998. Life 5.0. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA. (Distributed by W. H. Freeman, New York.)

Purves, W. K. 1998. UNDERSTAND! Biology: Molecules, Cells & Genes. CDROM by The MonaGroup LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Purves, W. K. 1998. GET*it Biochemistry. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Purves, W. K. 1998. GET*it Cell Biology. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Purves, W. K. 1998. GET*it Genetics. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Purves, W. K. 1998. GET*it Molecular Biology. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Purves, W. K. 1997. Cells & Genes. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC, Sunderland, MA.

Purves, W.K. 1997. Biology. Encyclopedia Americana p. 769-778.

Purves, W. K. 1997. The Cell 1.0. CDROM by The Mona Group LLC. (Distributed by ASM Press and Sinauer Associates.)