1. Who is giving the advice?
2. Is the focus on process?
3. Can you stay awake when you read it?
4. Don't dismiss self-help books

When you choose a book about how to write, or how to prosper in academia, it helps to begin by asking "Who is the author?"

All other things being equal, the book will be most helpful if written by someone in your field, or a related field. Optimal advice to science doctoral students or faculty varies considerably from optimal advice for those in the humanities. Many authors of these manuals purport to reach a general audience, but their advice is more specialized than they imagine.

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My personal bias is a strong preference for books that focus on process, and the psychological aspects of pursuing doctoral studies, as opposed to books that focus on research methodology or the conventions of dissertation formats.

Most faculty I work with have a good idea of what they must produce to get tenure. Most students I work with know the form and content requirements of dissertations in their particular department. However, faculty have great difficulty finding mentors who can clue them into the political nuances of the tenure quest. Graduate students are rarely taught how to negotiate the social, cultural and developmental paths of the particular doctoral program.

Books that give tips and examples of how to handle the personal and interpersonal demands of academia can be quite useful.

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Some authors have such a pedantic, scholarly voice that I find them unreadable. My penchant is for writers who can shift to a more conversational tone in their writing, and I give brownie points galore to authors who can introduce humor into their musings.

As an academic, you already have to read oodles of dry, scholarly, jargon-filled, challenging, and incomprehensible material. Give yourself a break .

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Just because a book is for a general audience, doesn't mean that it is worthless for those readers, like you, who are graced with superior intelligence and exacting critical standards. There is a good reason why some self-help books are popular bestsellers. They are helpful.

In the reference lists provided, I list many popular self-help books, and books about how to write by novelists. These sources often provide a motivational boost, some good ideas, and an easy read. The behavioral shifts that you make after reading these books may be short-lived - but positive changes are still positive changes, however fleeting.

(By the way, if you like self-help books then you'll probably love coaching.)

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