The Expert: How do you ask Ron Bishop ’64 just one question? The electrical engineering grad has a long and successful career, much of it working in the computer industry for Motorola. It’s impressive, but his wildly varied ventures as an author and entrepreneur are what really intrigue. Starting with his 1979 book, Basic Microprocessors and the 6800 — which became a standard text at 400 colleges and has sold nearly two million copies — Bishop has known and trusted a good idea when he thinks of it. His inventive bent has led him to market nightlights, neckties, and plastic soda bottles stretched into weird shapes, to name a few. As an author, Bishop didn’t pigeonhole himself as a technical writer after the first book. His publication Getting to Know You, (www.knowyourlover.com) is a collection of 315 yes-no questions to help couples cut to the chase and determine if they are compatible. The book has proven prime fodder for TV talk shows and is used by a number of dating services.

The Question: Well, how do I know if he/she is The One?

The Answer: First, a disclaimer. Bishop says, “I’m not a psychologist.” He notes that his questions are based on his own thoughts and lots of conversations with friends; his scoring system is an indulgence to the engineer in him, meant to be “a fun thing.” Still, Bishop does advise that he thinks couples need to pay serious attention to what he calls “the day-to-day stuff.” He offers his own marriage up as an example. A zealous sports fan, the Phoenix resident is at a Suns, Arizona State, or Diamondbacks game some 160 nights a year. You bet his wife likes a good game, too. As for that stuff about opposites attracting, Bishop says, “More often, I think, opposites end up divorced.”