Richard Whitt focuses his investigative lens on recent goings-on at the University of Georgia, and in so doing writes a bigger story concerning a sea change in how America supports its institutions of higher education.

Behind the Hedges examines Michael Adams's tumultuous career as president of Georgia's flagship university, a tenure marked by intrigue and backroom deals. Whitt probes the relationship among key players in the power struggle and explores the growing importance of private funding to public institutions of higher learning and the influence of nonprofit foundations that raise and manage huge private endowments.