Historian links literature to gambling

Yesterday’s Globe and Mail featured a provocative and engaging op ed by Brock historian John Sainsbury asking “What if Dostoyevsky had been an online gambler?” Professor Sainsbury cleverly used the Russian novelist’s addiction to casinos to explore the potential impact of the Ontario government’s recent decision to set up provincially-run online gambling.

In the process of delivering a lively and informative read, the scholar also did a great job of demonstrating the relevance of social sciences such as history and literature to contemporary life and public policy.

At a time when politicians are looking for ways to cut research funding, such reinforcement of the value of university scholarship is important.