Publish and Perish

I picked up James Hynes’ Publish and Perish: Three Tales of Tenure and Terror as a result of it being recommended by the photographer Philip Greenspun. He called it: “the ultimate airplane read for anyone in the university world.”

I was expected it to be a light and humourous mockery of academia, written in a faux horror style. As comedy, horror, and writing in general it falls flat. The characters are boring, the plots are either predictable or uninteresting, and the jabs at academia lack poignancy. All the book really had going for it was that it was a quick read. In my ongoing efforts to clear the stacks of unread books on my dining room table, I decided to clear some of the light fare first.

I would not recommend this book.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here. View all posts by Milan