Rating: 
Summary: How to get in, get done, and remain sane!
Review: This book was informative from start to finish. Most importantly, it helped me to understand the qualities that are important in a prospective advisor and to be proactive in my pursuit of an academic career. Peters provides an insightful overview of the entire process of researching schools, applying, getting in, and succeeding in graduate school. I cannot tell you how many of my questions were answered by this manual. Peters provides real life examples from real students in sticky situations. I recommend this book highly - it is well worth your time and money.
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't help me
Review: This book isn't worth the money, at least not if you're serious about getting into a good program. Its not a total ripoff, but there are better books. I bought a lot of them last year, and most of them are quite similar, in that they mostly deal with common sense issues. This is one of them. What most students really need is advice about the things that would never occur to them -- not just the obvious things. Luckily for me, I did get accepted into a Psychology grad program on my first attempt (In fact, I was accepted at 3 out of 6 places I applied to), but looking back on the whole processes of applying, only one book really told me what I needed to know beyond what I already knew. That was the Winning Strategies book. My girlfriend is using it now and its giving her some great ideas. The book by Peters looks good, but doesn't live up to its promise.
Rating:
Summary: A graduate Student Must Have
Review: This book is as relevant and packed full of great information and advice when I first started graduate school as it is now three years later and I'm ready to defend my thesis. I know I will pick it up quite a few more times between now and the time they crown me my doctoral degree. I'm impressed by the fact that Peters and I come from different academic backgrounds (him from biology, and me from psychology), but his book is nevertheless very relevant to my experiences. I imagine it does for students from many other fields as well. One other "succeeding in graduate school" book I own is filled with citations to research that support the book's suggestions. There are charts and graphs, but unfortunately, one cannot survive and thrive in graduate school using only your head. Peters' book not only makes you ponder hard the reasons and ways to be successful in graduate school, it does so with a heart. The advice and information are real because there are real people behind them. Thousands have come before you, and you can be one of them too....or not. The book doesn't glorify nor idealize graduate school. It gives you an inside look at how it has worked and not worked for others. You decide what to do with this information. Much of graduate school can be very political. Academia is occupied by smart and often very weird people, socially and otherwise. The book doesn't gloss over any of this. It guides you through people politics and the importance of self-care. It celebrates how the graduate school experience can be so right, but sometimes, unfortunately but realistically, can also go so wrong. Peters' book is a great companion through all of this. Highly recommended (despite a need for the author to come out with a new edition to replace outdated information on computers, computer softwares, and personal information managers). Probably most relevant to graduate students interested in academia.
Rating:
Summary: An Indispensable Reference
Review: Are you planning to go to graduate school? If you are, this is a necessary guide which gives you all the basics--from applying to graduation and beyond. One of the most important points is that you have to prepare for graduate school early. Don't wait until after you're accepted to choose your advisor. You shouldn't even apply until after you select your advisor. This point of advice saves a lot of heartache later on, because having a good relationship with your advisor is one of the single most important things in graduate school. If you have a suitable advisor, graduate school will go more smoothly. Another thing I like is that it doesn't try to sugarcoat the graduate school experience. It tells you exactly that graduate school is a rough experience and that out of all the people who enter graduate programs, only 8% go on to academic work. If you can't face these facts, then you probably aren't driven enough to succeed in a graduate program. If you're still burning for higher education and are willing to face the difficulties involved, you're ready for graduate school. Basically you should go in with both eyes open. I recommend picking up this guide to help you through your postgraduate life.
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