This book investigates the shifting definitions and underlying realities of key terminology within the modern American university system. Authors Cary Nelson and Stephen Watt, both established scholars and critics of higher education, utilize a dictionary-style format to deconstruct the corporatization of academia. By examining terms ranging from academic freedom to the status of part-time faculty, they argue that the contemporary university is undergoing a profound and often detrimental transformation that compromises its core mission.

Experts and readers frequently cite this work as a sharp, polemical critique of the administrative and labor-related shifts in American universities. The text is noted for its accessible yet biting prose, which serves as a foundational reference for those interested in the political economy of higher education.