The book addresses both more general academic problems - such as freedom, creativity, innovation, scientific values, seriousness or courage in science, as well as more specific ones - such as speculative thinking, imitation, resourcefulness, bureaucracy, aging or joking.

In this book, the author presents his observations and thoughts related to academic life in Poland and in Western countries. For over 50 years, he was its participant, going from a student at Adam Mickiewicz University to a full professor. In this book, he refers to those problems that have appeared in academic life in recent decades. However, not only to them, because they were related in various ways to those that have existed since the establishment of the first academies. In each case, he treated it as a voice in discussions on the tasks of the academic community and the possibilities of their implementation in specific social realities.

Autorentext
Zbigniew Drozdowicz is a retired professor at the Adam Mickiewicz University. He specialises in the field of modern French philosophy and religious studies, practiced from a secular position. He focuses on the analysis of Christianity undergoing various transformations. He has authored about 500, including over 40 scientific monographs.

Inhalt
World-class and provincialism in science - The limits of academic freedoms - Creating academic greats - Academic masters and teachers - Schools in science - Celebrities, celebrants and halberdiers - Academic climes - Politicization of universities - Enthusiasm in science - Speculativism in science - Quasi-scientific assumptions and beliefs - Agnosticism of scholars - Imitating philosophers - Voltaireanism in academic life - Teamwork or solo? - Leaders and stragglers in science - Academic innovations - Academic weigh-ins of the professor and the student - Academic decency - The Temptation of the Scholar - The profane in academic life - Academic opinion-giving - Academic expertosis - Academic habits - Academic seriousness - Academic jokes - Academic courage - The zones of shouting and silence - Student resourcefulness - Academic aging - The recipe for academic success - Academic bureaucracy - The Power of Autobiography and Biography - Academic publicism