Professor Herman (Harry) Pietersen [website: http://janusian.homestead.com ] is the Chair: Department of Industrial Psychology at Vista University, South Africa. Prior to joining the academic 'fraternity' in the eighties he held various human resource development (HRD) positions in the public and private sectors.

Despite the usual demands of academic management work, he maintains an ongoing interest in research, and (time permitting) also consults in the areas of organizational assessment, change and development.

Of his philosophical interest, Herman has this to say: "To me philosophy is a deeply personal affair (my wife would say: 'obsession'), to see 'the wood without getting lost among the trees' of life. Yet, such is the allure of this 'mistress of the mind', that 'she' cannot be denied". Joining the staff of The Examined Life as an associate editor is a great honor and challenge for Herman.