Plenty of good advice from Greg Mankiw for new junior faculty. Though I might have a problem with his one-before-the-last piece: “Avoid activities that will distract you from research. Whatever you do, do not start a blog. That will only establish your lack of seriousness as a scholar.” I am not even a new junior faculty (yeah, yeah, still busy on my PhD dissertation for the moment, but I am getting there…) and I already have a blog. Well, well, but there is still some hope. Mankiw’s last piece of advice could (should! must! please?) override everything else: “Remember that you got into academics in part for the intellectual freedom it allows. So pursue your passions. Do not be too strategic. Be wary of advice from old fogies like me.” Amen!
