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Peter J. Feibelman
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A PhD Is Not Enough!: A Guide to Survival in Science Kindle Edition

by Peter J. Feibelman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 447
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Everything you ever need to know about making it as a scientist.

Despite your graduate education, brainpower, and technical prowess, your career in scientific research is far from assured. Permanent positions are scarce, science survival is rarely part of formal graduate training, and a good mentor is hard to find.

In A Ph.D. Is Not Enough!, physicist Peter J. Feibelman lays out a rational path to a fulfilling long-term research career. He offers sound advice on selecting a thesis or postdoctoral adviser; choosing among research jobs in academia, government laboratories, and industry; preparing for an employment interview; and defining a research program. The guidance offered in A Ph.D. Is Not Enough! will help you make your oral presentations more effective, your journal articles more compelling, and your grant proposals more successful.

A classic guide for recent and soon-to-be graduates, A Ph.D. Is Not Enough! remains required reading for anyone on the threshold of a career in science. This new edition includes two new chapters and is revised and updated throughout to reflect how the revolution in electronic communication has transformed the field.
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  1. Print length
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  4. Publisher
    Basic Books
  5. Publication date
    January 11, 2011
  6. Grade level
    8 and up
  7. File size
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"It took me over forty years to learn from experience what can be learned in one hour from this guide."
―Carl Djerassi

"Breezily written, irreverent, and filled with useful information. I wish something like it had been available when I was starting out."
―Michael Weber, Cancer Center Director, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

"I loved A PhD Is Not Enough! I couldn't put it down. His writing is delightful, and he is on targed with virtually all of his advice."―Steven H. Strogatz, author of The Joy of X

About the Author

A Senior Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, Peter J. Feibelman received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at San Diego, did postdoctoral research at the C.E.N. Saclay (France) and the University of Illinois (Urbana), and taught for three years at Stony Brook University. Feibelman lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004EHZDE8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (January 11, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 11, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 797 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 166 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 447

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Peter J. Feibelman

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
447 global ratings
Things I already know
3 Stars
Things I already know
While the books has a number of interesting stories, the advice is quite ordinary. As a first year graduate student, I have already come across most points raised in this book.Also, I bought the new book but it was a bit bent. The book should have been better protected
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Top reviews from the United States

Michael-James
5.0 out of 5 stars Undergraduate to Postdoc, a must-read for science majors.
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2024
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My graduate Astronomy Research professor strongly recommended this book, and I'm glad he did. I bought the paperback and the Audible version. The audiobook was great, as I have a long commute every day, and it is read by the author, which I always prefer. The paperback was a must for me as well. I plan on rereading it several times and using it as a reference. Being able to highlight and quickly find a section or chapter will be crucial. It is a short, easy read, full of information. If you plan on being part of a research community, or even just publishing a handful of research papers, this book is worth a look.
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Z. shiyu
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good but not the best
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2013
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I am a PhD student who is going to graduate in a year. I feel lucky I bought some books on how to survive in academia. "A PhD is not enough" is the second book I read. The first one is "From student to scholar", which I believe you also have heard about. If I have to give a ranking, I choose the "From student" one as the best (in various academic survival books).

This book certainly is good. It is short and informative. I have learned a lot.

But I think the author of the book is a little cynical. Many people like the way the book is written. But I think the book conveys some negative emotion which is not very good for a PhD student who is eager to start an academic career. For example, in Chapter 6 'From here to tenure: choose a career path', the author gives a long list of the disadvantages of being a professor in a university. I sense that the author particularly hates teaching. He mentioned many times how stressful and boring teaching is. The author also talks about how wonderful working in a national lab is. I notice that the author himself is a scientist in a national lab but not a professor. That perhaps can explain why he likes national labs instead of universities.

But after all, it is also good to be aware of all kinds of disadvantages of professorships. After all one needs to get well prepared to pursue a professorship.
8 people found this helpful
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Ayzed
5.0 out of 5 stars A Ph.D. is Just the Beginning
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2011
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First off, let me point out that I'm reviewing the first edition of this book (1993) which I very recently bought. Had I known a second edition was coming out so soon, I would have bought that instead. Anyway, this book is basically advice for young people who are interested in a career in science. If you are planning to go to graduate school (for a Ph.D.), it will be especially of help. There are 8 easily readable chapters that take you from graduate school all the way up to establishing yourself as a reputable scientist. Given that the book is only 100 pages or so, the material is obviously succinct. There is also some useful material on preparing (and delivering) scientific presentations, and writing science papers.

As a young scientist myself (in academia), I can relate to much of it and also learned a few things (e.g. in terms of what to expect at this point). The only issue I had with the book is this. While Feibelman's background is physics, his advice his still largely applicable to people doing research in other areas. However, his perspectives are very US-oriented. The depictions of processes and life in both academia and industry are therefore not very accurate if you look at science and scientists in other countries. In fact, taking his advice - assuming it all works the way he says they do - in *your* country, could actually be detrimental to your career. I found myself shaking my head at times, realizing that this may be how it is in the US, but it's a bit different where I'm from. Some things are better, some things are worse. Ultimately, as a scientist (whether in academia or industry), you should basically want to do the best science you can in the time you have. If your intentions are genuine and work thorough, you are more likely to be the most satisfied at the end of the day.
4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars What to expect post Ph.D.
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2020
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Currently I'm an undergrad applying for graduate school, and I think having a book that outlines what the various career paths are is very helpful. If you haven't had a professor or family member to talk to you about what career options will (and won't) be available for post Ph.D. then I think this is a must read. If you already have a pretty good idea of what you envision post Ph.D. I would still recommend giving it a quick read to hopefully give you that extra confidence in your decisions.
This book does focus on the options of a Ph.D. in academia, but does touch on the industry prospects you might have. Understanding the career path is important. When you are in a company the ladder to climb (and how to climb it) are pretty straightforward. I don't think it is as clear cut in academia (especially if you are like me as an undergrad who knows relatively little about what is to come).
2 people found this helpful
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E. Baxter
5.0 out of 5 stars practical, easy read, great advice
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2010
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I am currently pursuing my PhD and devoured this book. A PhD Is Not Enough is full of practical, useable advice and information. This book takes the reader through finding an advisor, giving presentations and seminars, teaching loads, postdoc job considerations, publishing papers, everything. The author's background in physics is close enough to my own field that every insight into graduate school and the subsequent career path translates into my own experience nicely. Dr. Feibelman gives a great rundown of the motivations of professors you may choose to work with during the various stages of their own careers and how that will affect their students for better or worse. Topics such as what sorts of projects to take on during your postdoc position, pros and cons of university labs verses government labs, obtaining funding, setting up your own lab or research area, and what interviewers are looking for prove very helpful insights into academia and will allow the student better preparation for each stage. It's a quick read, insightful, with an honest look at the sometimes contradictory forces of the academic environment. I highly recommend this book for anyone pursuing PhD and pursuing a scientific career.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Andre Mayer
5.0 out of 5 stars It changed my PhD
Reviewed in Canada on July 11, 2023
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I found this book to be truly excellent. The author shares insightful experiences from start to finish that took me years to acquire on my own. Additionally, the book features real-life case studies that are likely to resonate with individuals within your own research group. I highly recommend this book to any student who is interested in pursuing a career in academia.
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Emmanuel Flores
5.0 out of 5 stars Many graduate students will find this book really useful
Reviewed in Mexico on December 4, 2022
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I like the idea that with the correct training and the proper guidance you potentially could succeed in any area, and the goal of this book is just that. A lecture very enjoyable and very useful information inside.
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Tiago Silveira
5.0 out of 5 stars A great guide
Reviewed in Brazil on April 13, 2018
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I recommend this reading not only to those who finished their PhD but mainly to the aspiring ones. Feibelman gives us a honest view of the scientific workplace and many advices on how to drive our career as a scientist.
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Devesh Tewary
4.0 out of 5 stars A PhD is definately not enough! ; an excellent life-skill guide
Reviewed in India on August 14, 2019
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This books will help you with taking informed choices both after doing your PhD as well as even before thinking about one (that whether you are capable of traversing the real world after PhD which is not as rosy as you might like to think).

You might think why 4 stars. Well there are couple of reasons: (1) This book seems to be very specific to the research climate in the US. I am quite sure this is not the case (at-least entirely) in other countries. If you are in the US or are thinking to do your postdoc there, this book is of immense value. Otherwise, it is still definitely worth its silver but it would be hard on the author to expect so otherwise. (2) The book is solely for 'scientists'. This is mentioned in the cover of the book also. But like me, you might expect that there are some nuggets of information for humanities folks, but that is not the case here, not even a footnote.

All the best!
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Johannes
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read but nothing new
Reviewed in Germany on November 17, 2015
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The book does not really introduce new things about research, but it is good to read that others have the same problems.
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