Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Embedded in an obnoxious tone, rampant sexism, and juvenile humor, these bad boy authors provide some GREAT advice. Who needs all this freakin', dumb a** filth? Who needs to read a book where professors and readers are routinely insulted and the arrogance of rowdy white male egos is celebrated? Well, if you are a grad student, or want to be a grad student, you need it. This book is USEFUL. The main point is that it takes street smarts as well as book smarts to succeed in grad school. Frank 'n Stein will drum into your head that understanding the unspoken norms of grad school, and the navigating the politics of your department, is at least as important as researching your scholarly topic. They emphasize that you should always be thinking three steps ahead to the next phase of your program. I concur enthusiastically. Frank 'n Stein start with advice for people thinking about grad school and tell them to choose their university well - which means getting into the most prestigious program possible while avoiding dysfunctional departments. Many novice applicants don't realize that the general prestige of a school may not translate into a great graduate program. You may not want to apply to the Ivies. This is the first book about how to survive grad school that gives the lowdown on the ubiquitous class group project. Frank 'n Stein emphasize the importance of picking the right partner, and being very savvy about your role when you have to do group assignments (gag). Teachers LOVE group projects followed by tedious class presentations. Why? They don't have to prepare for class; it's requires fraction of the grading compared with individual assignments; and the profs can grade during classroom hours at the time of the presentation. Smart teachers like group projects and most students wisely hate them. Now you'll have explicit tactics for surviving these tiresome assignments. These foul-mouthed sages remind us that grades don't matter in grad school. Just pass and get on with it. Rules for success are quite different from undergrad life and these differences are explained in great detail. GPA doesn't mean much. You can't read everything that is assigned and you shouldn't try. You need to specialize early. Finishing quickly is 90 percent of the game. Frank 'n Stein point out the obvious: that you should choose your dissertation chair and committee wisely. They give amusing (and accurate) profiles of typical professors and explain in detail what you should be looking for when you choose your dissertation advisor. They point out the often-overlooked importance of making sure your committee members work well together. I've certainly seen defenses gone awry because of professorial infighting. Do your research and think tactically. A supportive committee is essential. Frank 'n Stein believe that every paper for every class should be related to your dissertation project. If you plan carefully, the majority of your coursework, most of your class papers, and all of your work on your comprehensive exams, can be used towards your dissertation. I agree with these arrogant frat boys -- ideally, you can have your literature review pretty much written before you even defend your proposal. Of course, this means that you need to know your scholarly direction very early in grad school. And you should. If you don't have a clue at the end of your first year about where your're going to focus your scholarly efforts, take time off, make some money, and figure out whether you really want that Ph.D.. People who flounder about with no direction end up taking years longer (which translates into major financial debt and a less appealing C.V.) Frank 'n Stein's specific dissertation writing advice is targeted towards grad students in the social sciences. The advice will be less accurate for wanna-be-docs in the sciences and the humanities. Their advice is also more applicable to students who are getting their degrees to further an already-existing career rather than students who want to go into academia and become professors. These bad boys both worked full-time while in grad school and their advice reflects that experience. With these caveats in mind, With that caveat, Frank 'n Stein give great tips for writing and defending the proposal, for working on the methods section, and pleasing the IRB (Institutional Review Board). They are realistic about how long it takes professors to read and return material and give great suggestions about the work you can be doing while you wait to get material back. They point out another way academia differs from the rest of the universe: your CV should be as long as possible - forget about the one page resume favored by business. Finally, Frank 'n Stein have found funny quotes to sprinkle throughout the book. By the way, the reviewer "Bill Sr." points out that this book is self-published -- so what? The majority of books published today are done so outside of mainstream presses. The real question is whether their advice is any good. And it is. Many of my coaching clients and students need to keep in mind that grad school is an apprenticeship, and that the dissertation is the first solo project of their career rather than a culminating magnum opus. I'm a clinical psychologist and professional coach who specializes in working with academics. I teach a class called "Graduate School Survival Skills" at UNC-Chapel Hill and will definitely recommend this book. For years I've been giving much of the advice that I read for the first time in "Playing the Game." I don't use the same language, however.