The author wrote this in the 80's when the future of academia was looking a little bleak so I can forgive him some of his pessimism, but the book is rather dreary and has the principal effect of scaring away those considering a doctoral program (which is perhaps a good thing). The book has three critical flaws: it's 100 pages too long, it's dated (especially the material on computers and sexual harassment), and the author has the annoying belief that social science dissertations are the only "full" dissertations. By suggesting that his own field of Sociology is the most difficult field of study, the author alienates many potential readers and loses any claim of impartial observation. All of the useful gems of advice are covered in a shorter and more optimistic book written by Evelyn Hunt Ogden on the same subject. Read that one instead.