No matter if you’re studying for exams or working on your thesis, chances are your summer reading list is full of books and articles that pertain to your research area. But why not mix things up a little by adding a few to help with your writing and research skills?
I asked several campus experts to recommend books that could help students who are working on their theses. Their suggestions range in topic from strengthening your writing and research skills to conquering productivity to finding relaxation. Check out their suggestions below:
Himalaya Poems by Ko Un, English translation by Brother Anthony of Taizé and Lee Sang-Wha
Read selections from the book.
Recommended by Jamie Hutchinson, Publications Editor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Looking to clear your head? Korean writer and activist Ko Un cleared his with a perilous hiking trip through Tibet and took stock of the experience with this trim set of sketches, anecdotes, whims, meditations, and visions. One of my favorites, entitled “Optical Illusion,” opens with a vague image of a “close-seeming far-off spot” that retains this double aspect as one approaches it. A distant peak? The completion of your thesis? Could be either. But the poem closes with this bolt:
We need far-off people like that.
Very close by.
The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron
Check it out from the University Library.
Recommended by Cara Finnegan, Professor, Department of Communication
Julia Cameron is familiar to many of us for her landmark book on creativity, The Artist's Way. While The Artist's Way focused on all forms of creativity, The Right to Write speaks to those of us who devote large parts of our lives to the act of writing. Although not written specifically for academics, Cameron's book helped me to realize that scholarly writing is creative work, and that the same techniques that creative writers use to structure their writing lives are techniques that academic writers can use as well. I return to this book whenever I need to be reminded that it's okay to have fun and be creative in my writing.
Data Management for Researchers: Organize, Maintain and Share Your Data for Research Success by Kristin Briney
Check it out from the University Library.
Recommended by Sara Williams, Interim Head of the Funk ACES Library and Life Sciences Data Services Librarian
Effective data management is crucial for a successful thesis project, but knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. I recommend this book, because, just like the Library’s Smart and Simple Data Management workshop, it describes practical data management tips and helpful context. Chapters focus on a variety of topics, including documentation, organization, managing sensitive data, and storage and backups, with valuable context provided by relevant literature citations, interesting historical stories, and article retraction examples. As the author writes, “Good data management is just the cumulation of many small practices that you make a routine part of your research. And any little bit you do to improve your data management helps.” So, try reading all, or part, of the book this summer, and see what small practices you can implement.
How to Write a Lot: A Guide to Productive Academic Writing by Paul J. Silva
Check it out from the University Library.
Recommended by Carolyn Wisniewski, Director, Writers Workshop
Most academics want to write more productively, efficiently, and enjoyably. Silvia’s light-hearted (and slim) book offers practical advice that will help you increase and sustain your productivity over the summer and into the next academic year. Silvia encourages readers to come to terms with the “specious barriers” that many of us use to avoid writing— there’s not enough time, I need to read more first, I’m waiting for inspiration, etc. To overcome these excuses and create positive writing habits, Silvia provides concrete strategies for establishing writing routines, setting realistic goals, and starting a writing group.
Deep Work: Rules for Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
Check it out from the University Library.
Recommended by Daniel Wong, Associate Director, Educational Equity Programs, Graduate College
In his fifth book, Cal Newport, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University who also maintains the popular “Study Hacks” blog, argues that the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks is an invaluable skill in a knowledge economy. He calls this ability and practice “deep work”—an exercise necessary for mastering “the art of quickly learning complicated things.” His book, sprinkled throughout with memorable anecdotes and compelling case studies, presents both an argument for deep work and a list of four “rules” for how to achieve it (including Rule #3: “Quit Social Media”). Anyone interested in maximizing both productivity and quality of life will benefit from this practical and insightful guide.
When compiling your summer reading list, don’t forget to pick a few books that are NOT about your research to add a little variety and to give your mind a break. Having trouble finding something to read? You might peruse Goodreads or Book Riot for some suggestions. (Hint: Check out this list of books aimed at improving your work life.) So, kick back in a hammock or a beach chair and get reading!
Emily Wuchner is the Associate Director for Student Experience at the Graduate College. She holds a PhD in musicology from the University of Illinois, and her work focuses on music and social welfare in eighteenth-century Austria. In her free time, she enjoys boxing, reading, and knitting and crochet.
