本书详细讨论了选择导师、阅读与写作参加学术会议、陈述报告、处理与导师的关系、建立人际关系网络、论文答辩和职业生涯规划等主题，针对研究生各阶段给出了详尽的学术建议，有较强的实用性和操作性。

'A breath of fresh air - I wish someone had told me this beforehand' - PhD student, UK. 'If you are contemplating a PhD, buy the book and read it straight through to get the larger picture; then re-read each section in greater detail as you tackle each stage of your work. I did the basic research for my PhD in about twelve months, then spent two years writing up the results - and producing possibly too much. It succeeded, but I think I might have made a better job of it if I had read a book like this first. But they didn't exist in those days' - Mantex.This book looks at things the other books don't tell you about doing a PhD - what it's really like and how to come through it with a happy ending! It covers all the things you wish someone had told you before you started: what a PhD is really about, and how to do one well; the "unwritten rules" of research and of academic writing; what your supervisor actually means by terms like "good referencing" and "clean research question"; how to write like a skilled researcher; and, how academic careers really work. It is an ideal resource if someone you care about (including yourself!) is undergoing or considering a PhD. This book turns lost, clueless students back into people who know what they are doing, and who can enjoy life again.