Towards Re: Heads articles on web

[Geoff Read]

>  Heads' recent paper "Towards a panbiogeography of the seas" which
> should be essential reading for any biogeographer

I got to thinking about that title and decided it was a good choice.  The
implicit modesty appeals a lot to me. Using 'towards' (a neat shorthand for
something more clumsy like 'preliminary results on') indicates there is a
desirable difficult end point the author sees in the distance and here in the
content of the essay is his suggestions as to how we might get there - one of
many alternatives which may be proposed.  And it is mild and inoffensive too -
if you don't think the goal is a worthwhile aim you don't have to read it.

I had a look for some other real 'towards' titles published recently where not
actually getting there immediately is perfectly understandable due to the
difficulties likely to be encountered:

Towards a pain-free hospital ...
Towards a Middle East at Peace ...

and my favourite:

Towards a better world

--
  Geoff Read <g.read at niwa.co.nz>
  http://www.annelida.net/