Sir - When I saw the title of the book Can Oxford Be Improved, as reviewed by you on July 27, I thought, yes, something needs to be done about flood defences, Frideswide Square needs redesigning, perhaps a concert hall, and Oxpens is a mess, not to mention the Botley Road and the A34.

Then I realised that for the authors, Oxford means only the University. Ah well, two worlds! As for the book, which amongst other things suggests that the colleges give up money and power, three truisms, some might say clichés, come to mind; the first that turkeys will never vote for Christmas, the second that unless something is really broke it won't get fixed, and third that the most effective form of government is a dictatorship.

Any organisation which has the head being wagged by the tail is defying gravity, and even the hot air of public money cannot hold it up for ever.

Bill Leonard, Oxford