The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dissertations, and Books

Rating:
Summary: It got me through my dissertation
Review: Okay, I'll admit it--it's only a slight exaggeration to say that this book enabled me to finish my doctoral dissertation, or at least sped up the process by several months. How? By laying out with great clarity, detail, and an almost irritating degree of assurance exactly how to write a thesis, dissertation, or book. There it all is, in black and white--and all of a sudden it seems doable. You may not like Zerubavel's strategies; you may grumble and fuss and argue with them. But at least they give you a framework to adopt, or adapt, or dismantle. And in my case, at least, that was just what I needed--in fact, I wish to goodness I'd picked this book up six months earlier.

Criticisms? Sure. Humility is not the author's long suit--most of his examples come from his own work, his own life, and you keep wishing he'd incorporated more examples and strategies from other people's experiences (one assumes the guy must have colleagues, but you'd scarcely know it from this work). More of that would have broadened and strengthened his book greatly. There isn't just one right way, and not everything Zerubavel suggests will work for everyone, but that's easy to forget in the face of the magisterial self-assurance his words convey. Never mind; the stuff works, and you can work with it, or against it, so that something from it will work for you. I read the paperback, but I'm buying the hardcover for my permanent library, and I'm recommending it strongly to every daunted graduate student I know. Zerubavel's ego clearly doesn't need boosting, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to give The Clockwork Muse my highest recommendation anyway.

Rating:
Summary: more clockwork than muse
Review: This was one of those books I bought in a fit of procrastination, hoping that just owning such a book might magically propel my dissertation towards its much yearned for end. The title sounded good too, you know, with the right mixture of creativity and discipline.

It was an utter disappointment, I'm afraid. I've heard all the advice in it a million times before - there's nothing here that you can't think of yourself. Figure out when you like writing. Do mechanical stuff at times you're not as alert, and real writing when you're raring to go. Make an outline, divide it all into manageable chunks. Stick to it, pace yourself, be a tortoise not a hare. Make a schedule and keep it!

There's not really much of the muse in there at all, is there? Of course, if this is the way you work best, sure, go for it, it's good advice. But you've probably already worked it out for yourself, haven't you?

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and pragmatic, just like the title
Review: When I was writing my dissertation, a hard-working and prolific colleague recommended this book to me. I borrowed it from my university library. It had an almost instant effect on my work, and I finished my opus quickly and relatively painlessly. Recently, I found myself procrastinating and meandering again, so I decided to buy the book!

Things I like about the Clockwork Muse: it's very short. It gives very specific, pragmatic advice. It is light on molly-coddling psychobabble, unlike Joan Bolker's "Write Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day." The latter is useful in its own way, but it didn't do anything for my work habits.