best book on writing thesis

The best two books on doing a thesis

I started my PhD at the University of Melbourne in early 2006 and finished in 2009. I did well, collecting the John Grice Award for best thesis in my faculty and coming second for the university medal (dammit!). I attribute this success to two ‘how to’ books in particular: Evans and Gruba’s “How to write a better thesis” and Kamler and Thomson’s “Helping doctoral students write” , both of which recently went into their second edition.

I picked up “How to write a better thesis” from the RMIT campus bookstore in June, 2004. I met this book at a particularly dark time in my first thesis journey. I did my masters by creative practice at RMIT, which meant I made a heap of stuff and then had to write about it. The making bit was fun, but the writing was agony.

My poor supervisors did their best to help me revise draft after draft, but I was terrible at it. Nothing in my previous study in architecture had prepared me for writing a proper essay, let alone a long thesis. I had no idea what one should even look like. What sections should I have? What does each one do? In desperation, I visited the bookstore and “How to write a better thesis” jumped off the rack and into my arms.

I’ll admit, my choice was largely informed by its student friendly price point : at the time it was $21.95, it’s now gone up to around $36. In my opinion that’s a bit steep, given that the average student budget is still as constrained as it was a decade ago, but you do get a lot for your money.

David Evans sadly died some years ago, but Justin Zobel has ably stepped into his shoes for the revision. What I’ve always liked best about this book is the way it breaks the ‘standard thesis’ down into its various components: introduction, literature review, method etc, then treats the problems of each separately. This enables you to use it tactically to ‘spot check’ for problem areas in your thesis.

The new edition of the book has remained essentially the same, but with some useful additions that, I think, better reflect the complexity of the contemporary thesis landscape. It acknowledges a broader spread of difficulties with writing the thesis and includes worked examples which illustrate the various traps students can fall into.

A couple of weeks ago I was sent a review copy of Zobel and Gruba’s new collaboration: “How to write a better Minor Thesis” . This is a stripped down version of the original book, with some minor additions, but designed specifically for masters by course work and honours students who have to write a thesis between 15,000 and 30,000 in length. It’s a brilliant idea as, to my knowledge, there hasn’t been much on the market for these students before. The majority of the book is relevant to the PhD and since it’s only $9.95 on Kindle you might want to start with this instead and upgrade to the more expensive paperback if you think you want more.

My introduction to Barbara Kamler and Pat Thomson’s “Helping doctoral students to write: pedagogies for supervision” was quite different. My colleague at the time, Dr Robyn Barnacle, handed me this book when I was in the first year of my PhD. By that time I was a much more confident writer and I was ready for the more complex writing journey this book offered. And “Helping doctoral students to write” does tackle complicated issues – nominalisation, modality, them/rheme analysis and so on – but not in a complicated way. This is largely because it’s full of practical exercises and suggestions, many of which I use in my workshops (for an example, see this slide deck on treating the zombie thesis ).

Although “Helping doctoral students write” has more of a humanities bent than ‘how to write a thesis’, it steps through a broad range of thesis writing issues with a light touch that never makes you feel bored or frustrated. It argues that the thesis is a genre proposition – an amazingly powerful insight – and the chapter on grammar is simply a work of brilliance.

I’ve given this book to engineers, architects, biologists and musicologists, all of whom have told me it was useful – but I find total beginners react with fear to sub-headings like ‘modality: the goldilocks dilemma’. For that reason I usually save it for students near their final year, especially when they tell me their supervisor doesn’t like their writing, but can’t explain why.

“Helping doctoral students to write” is not explicitly written for PhD students (the authors are in the process of doing one). The new edition is an improvement on the old in many ways and well worth buying again if you happen to own it already. The new edition is around $42, which is ok but I think the Kindle edition is over priced (why do publishers keep doing this when many people like to own both for convenience?). It’s a great book for the advanced student who is prepared to roll up their sleeves and do some serious work. Not only will this work pay dividends, as my award attests, it will stand you in good stead for being a supervisor yourself later on as you will be able to diagnose and treat some of the most common – yet difficult to describe – writing problems.

Pat Thomson, is, of course, the author of the popular ‘Patter’ blog , so you can access her wisdom, for free, on a weekly basis. I should own up to the fact that Pat and I met on Twitter, as many bloggers do, and started to collaborate. I’m still in awe of Pat’s knowledge, experience and good humour. I sometimes pinch myself that we have become friends (in fact, she gave me my new copy of the book when I last visited the UK), but I hope this isn’t the only reason the new edition mentions the Whisperer in one of the chapters (squee!).

If I hadn’t already had deep familiarity with this book before I met Pat I would definitely have to say I have a conflict of interest, but I can hand on my heart tell you I would recommend it anyway. Pat and Barbara have written another, truly fantastic, book “Writing for peer review journals: strategies for getting published” but that’s a review for another time 🙂

Have you read these books? Or any others that you think have significantly helped you on your PhD journey? Love to hear about them in the comments.

Other book reviews on the Whisperer

How to write a lot

BITE: recipes for remarkable research

Study skills for international postgraduates

Doing your dissertation with Microsoft Word

How to fail your Viva

Mapping your thesis

Demystifying dissertation writing

If you have a book you would like us to review, please email me.

Share this:

The Thesis Whisperer is written by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University . New posts on the first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe by email below. Visit the About page to find out more about me, my podcasts and books. I'm on most social media platforms as @thesiswhisperer. The best places to talk to me are LinkedIn , Mastodon and Threads.

• Post (606)
• Page (16)
• Product (5)
• Getting things done (257)
• Miscellany (137)
• On Writing (137)
• Your Career (113)
• You and your supervisor (67)
• Writing (48)
• productivity (23)
• consulting (13)
• TWC (13)
• supervision (12)
• 2024 (3)
• 2023 (12)
• 2022 (11)
• 2021 (15)
• 2020 (22)

Whisper to me....

Enter your email address to get posts by email.

Email Address

Sign me up!

• On the reg: a podcast with @jasondowns
• Thesis Whisperer on Facebook
• Thesis Whisperer on Instagram
• Thesis Whisperer on Soundcloud
• Thesis Whisperer on Youtube
• Thesiswhisperer on Mastodon
• Thesiswhisperer page on LinkedIn
• Thesiswhisperer Podcast
• 12,073,442 hits

Discover more from The Thesis Whisperer

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Find anything you save across the site in your account

A Guide to Thesis Writing That Is a Guide to Life

“How to Write a Thesis,” by Umberto Eco, first appeared on Italian bookshelves in 1977. For Eco, the playful philosopher and novelist best known for his work on semiotics, there was a practical reason for writing it. Up until 1999, a thesis of original research was required of every student pursuing the Italian equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. Collecting his thoughts on the thesis process would save him the trouble of reciting the same advice to students each year. Since its publication, “How to Write a Thesis” has gone through twenty-three editions in Italy and has been translated into at least seventeen languages. Its first English edition is only now available, in a translation by Caterina Mongiat Farina and Geoff Farina.

We in the English-speaking world have survived thirty-seven years without “How to Write a Thesis.” Why bother with it now? After all, Eco wrote his thesis-writing manual before the advent of widespread word processing and the Internet. There are long passages devoted to quaint technologies such as note cards and address books, careful strategies for how to overcome the limitations of your local library. But the book’s enduring appeal—the reason it might interest someone whose life no longer demands the writing of anything longer than an e-mail—has little to do with the rigors of undergraduate honors requirements. Instead, it’s about what, in Eco’s rhapsodic and often funny book, the thesis represents: a magical process of self-realization, a kind of careful, curious engagement with the world that need not end in one’s early twenties. “Your thesis,” Eco foretells, “is like your first love: it will be difficult to forget.” By mastering the demands and protocols of the fusty old thesis, Eco passionately demonstrates, we become equipped for a world outside ourselves—a world of ideas, philosophies, and debates.

Eco’s career has been defined by a desire to share the rarefied concerns of academia with a broader reading public. He wrote a novel that enacted literary theory (“The Name of the Rose”) and a children’s book about atoms conscientiously objecting to their fate as war machines (“The Bomb and the General”). “How to Write a Thesis” is sparked by the wish to give any student with the desire and a respect for the process the tools for producing a rigorous and meaningful piece of writing. “A more just society,” Eco writes at the book’s outset, would be one where anyone with “true aspirations” would be supported by the state, regardless of their background or resources. Our society does not quite work that way. It is the students of privilege, the beneficiaries of the best training available, who tend to initiate and then breeze through the thesis process.

Eco walks students through the craft and rewards of sustained research, the nuances of outlining, different systems for collating one’s research notes, what to do if—per Eco’s invocation of thesis-as-first-love—you fear that someone’s made all these moves before. There are broad strategies for laying out the project’s “center” and “periphery” as well as philosophical asides about originality and attribution. “Work on a contemporary author as if he were ancient, and an ancient one as if he were contemporary,” Eco wisely advises. “You will have more fun and write a better thesis.” Other suggestions may strike the modern student as anachronistic, such as the novel idea of using an address book to keep a log of one’s sources.

But there are also old-fashioned approaches that seem more useful than ever: he recommends, for instance, a system of sortable index cards to explore a project’s potential trajectories. Moments like these make “How to Write a Thesis” feel like an instruction manual for finding one’s center in a dizzying era of information overload. Consider Eco’s caution against “the alibi of photocopies”: “A student makes hundreds of pages of photocopies and takes them home, and the manual labor he exercises in doing so gives him the impression that he possesses the work. Owning the photocopies exempts the student from actually reading them. This sort of vertigo of accumulation, a neocapitalism of information, happens to many.” Many of us suffer from an accelerated version of this nowadays, as we effortlessly bookmark links or save articles to Instapaper, satisfied with our aspiration to hoard all this new information, unsure if we will ever get around to actually dealing with it. (Eco’s not-entirely-helpful solution: read everything as soon as possible.)

But the most alluring aspect of Eco’s book is the way he imagines the community that results from any honest intellectual endeavor—the conversations you enter into across time and space, across age or hierarchy, in the spirit of free-flowing, democratic conversation. He cautions students against losing themselves down a narcissistic rabbit hole: you are not a “defrauded genius” simply because someone else has happened upon the same set of research questions. “You must overcome any shyness and have a conversation with the librarian,” he writes, “because he can offer you reliable advice that will save you much time. You must consider that the librarian (if not overworked or neurotic) is happy when he can demonstrate two things: the quality of his memory and erudition and the richness of his library, especially if it is small. The more isolated and disregarded the library, the more the librarian is consumed with sorrow for its underestimation.”

Eco captures a basic set of experiences and anxieties familiar to anyone who has written a thesis, from finding a mentor (“How to Avoid Being Exploited By Your Advisor”) to fighting through episodes of self-doubt. Ultimately, it’s the process and struggle that make a thesis a formative experience. When everything else you learned in college is marooned in the past—when you happen upon an old notebook and wonder what you spent all your time doing, since you have no recollection whatsoever of a senior-year postmodernism seminar—it is the thesis that remains, providing the once-mastered scholarly foundation that continues to authorize, decades-later, barroom observations about the late-career works of William Faulker or the Hotelling effect. (Full disclosure: I doubt that anyone on Earth can rival my mastery of John Travolta’s White Man’s Burden, owing to an idyllic Berkeley spring spent studying awful movies about race.)

In his foreword to Eco’s book, the scholar Francesco Erspamer contends that “How to Write a Thesis” continues to resonate with readers because it gets at “the very essence of the humanities.” There are certainly reasons to believe that the current crisis of the humanities owes partly to the poor job they do of explaining and justifying themselves. As critics continue to assail the prohibitive cost and possible uselessness of college—and at a time when anything that takes more than a few minutes to skim is called a “longread”—it’s understandable that devoting a small chunk of one’s frisky twenties to writing a thesis can seem a waste of time, outlandishly quaint, maybe even selfish. And, as higher education continues to bend to the logic of consumption and marketable skills, platitudes about pursuing knowledge for its own sake can seem certifiably bananas. Even from the perspective of the collegiate bureaucracy, the thesis is useful primarily as another mode of assessment, a benchmark of student achievement that’s legible and quantifiable. It’s also a great parting reminder to parents that your senior learned and achieved something.

But “How to Write a Thesis” is ultimately about much more than the leisurely pursuits of college students. Writing and research manuals such as “The Elements of Style,” “The Craft of Research,” and Turabian offer a vision of our best selves. They are exacting and exhaustive, full of protocols and standards that might seem pretentious, even strange. Acknowledging these rules, Eco would argue, allows the average person entry into a veritable universe of argument and discussion. “How to Write a Thesis,” then, isn’t just about fulfilling a degree requirement. It’s also about engaging difference and attempting a project that is seemingly impossible, humbly reckoning with “the knowledge that anyone can teach us something.” It models a kind of self-actualization, a belief in the integrity of one’s own voice.

A thesis represents an investment with an uncertain return, mostly because its life-changing aspects have to do with process. Maybe it’s the last time your most harebrained ideas will be taken seriously. Everyone deserves to feel this way. This is especially true given the stories from many college campuses about the comparatively lower number of women, first-generation students, and students of color who pursue optional thesis work. For these students, part of the challenge involves taking oneself seriously enough to ask for an unfamiliar and potentially path-altering kind of mentorship.

It’s worth thinking through Eco’s evocation of a “just society.” We might even think of the thesis, as Eco envisions it, as a formal version of the open-mindedness, care, rigor, and gusto with which we should greet every new day. It’s about committing oneself to a task that seems big and impossible. In the end, you won’t remember much beyond those final all-nighters, the gauche inside joke that sullies an acknowledgments page that only four human beings will ever read, the awkward photograph with your advisor at graduation. All that remains might be the sensation of handing your thesis to someone in the departmental office and then walking into a possibility-rich, almost-summer afternoon. It will be difficult to forget.

Books & Fiction

By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Mary Norris

By Joshua Rothman

By Kyle Chayka

By Anthony Lane

• Technical Support
• Find My Rep

You are here

How to Write a Master's Thesis

• Yvonne N. Bui - San Francisco State University, USA
• Description

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

For assistance with your order: Please email us at [email protected] or connect with your SAGE representative.

SAGE 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.sagepub.com

“Yvonne Bui’s How to Write a Master’s Thesis should be mandatory for all thesis track master’s students.  It steers students away from the shortcuts students may be tempted to use that would be costly in the long run. The step by step intentional approach is what I like best about this book.”

“This is the best textbook about writing an M.A. thesis available in the market.” 

“This is the type of textbook that students keep and refer to after the class.”

Excellent book. Thorough, yet concise, information for students writing their Master's Thesis who may not have had a strong background in research.

Clear, Concise, easy for students to access and understand. Contains all the elements for a successful thesis.

I loved the ease of this book. It was clear without extra nonsense that would just confuse the students.

Clear, concise, easily accessible. Students find it of great value.

NEW TO THIS EDITION:             

• Concrete instruction and guides for conceptualizing the literature review help students navigate through the most challenging topics.        
• Step-by-step instructions and more screenshots give students the guidance they need to write the foundational chapter, along with the latest online resources and general library information.          
• Additional coverage of single case designs and mixed methods help students gain a more comprehensive understanding of research methods.           
• Expanded explanation of unintentional plagiarism within the ethics chapter shows students the path to successful and professional writing.       
• Detailed information on conference presentation as a way to disseminate research , in addition to getting published, help students understand all of the tools needed to write a master’s thesis.    

KEY FEATURES:  

• An advanced chapter organizer provides an up-front checklist of what to expect in the chapter and serves as a project planner, so that students can immediately prepare and work alongside the chapter as they begin to develop their thesis.
• Full guidance on conducting successful literature reviews includes up-to-date information on electronic databases and Internet tools complete with numerous figures and captured screen shots from relevant web sites, electronic databases, and SPSS software, all integrated with the text.
• Excerpts from research articles and samples from exemplary students' master's theses relate specifically to the content of each chapter and provide the reader with a real-world context.
• Detailed explanations of the various components of the master's thesis and concrete strategies on how to conduct a literature review help students write each chapter of the master's thesis, and apply the American Psychological Association (APA) editorial style.
• A comprehensive Resources section features "Try It!" boxes which lead students through a sample problem or writing exercise based on a piece of the thesis to reinforce prior course learning and the writing objectives at hand. Reflection/discussion questions in the same section are designed to help students work through the thesis process.

Sample Materials & Chapters

1: Overview of the Master's Degree and Thesis

3: Using the Literature to Research Your Problem

For instructors

Select a purchasing option, related products.

Library Subject Guides

4. writing up your research: books on thesis writing.

• Books on Thesis Writing
• Thesis Formatting (MS Word)
• Referencing

Other Research Support Guides 1. Plan (Design and Discover) your Research >>  2. Find & Manage Research Literature >> 3. Doing the Research >> 5. Publish & Share >> 6. Measure Impact

Your dissertation may be the longest piece of writing you have ever done, but there are ways to approach it that will help to make it less overwhelming.

Write up as you go along. It is much easier to keep track of how your ideas develop and writing helps clarify your thinking. It also saves having to churn out 1000s of words at the end.

You don't have to start with the introduction – start at the chapter that seems the easiest to write – this could be the literature review or methodology, for example.

Alternatively you may prefer to write the introduction first, so you can get your ideas straight. Decide what will suit your ways of working best - then do it.

Think of each chapter as an essay in itself – it should have a clear introduction and conclusion. Use the conclusion to link back to the overall research question.

Think of the main argument of your dissertation as a river, and each chapter is a tributary feeding into this. The individual chapters will contain their own arguments, and go their own way, but they all contribute to the main flow.

Write a chapter, read it and do a redraft - then move on. This stops you from getting bogged down in one chapter.

Write your references properly and in full from the beginning.

Keep your word count in mind – be ruthless and don't write anything that isn't relevant. It's often easier to add information, than have to cut down a long chapter that you've slaved over for hours.

Save your work! Remember to save your work frequently to somewhere you can access it easily. It's a good idea to at least save a copy to a cloud-based service like Google Docs or Dropbox so that you can access it from any computer - if you only save to your own PC, laptop or tablet, you could lose everything if you lose or break your device.

E-books on thesis writing

Who to Contact

Nick scullin, phone:  +6433693904, find more books.

Try the following subject headings to search UC library catalogue for books on thesis writing

More books on writing theses

Dissertations, Academic

Dissertations, Academic -- Authorship

Dissertations, Academic -- Handbooks, manuals , 

Academic writing

Academic writing -- Handbooks, manuals , 

Report writing

Technical writing

Remember to save your work in different places

Save your work! Remember to save your work frequently to somewhere you can access it easily. It's a good idea to save your work in at least three places: on your computer, a flash drive and a copy to a cloud-based service like Google Docs or Dropbox .

Save each new file with the date in the file name as different files can get very confusing 

• << Previous: Home
• Next: Thesis Formatting (MS Word) >>
• Last Updated: Feb 8, 2024 12:29 PM
• URL: https://canterbury.libguides.com/writingup

• © 2018

Thesis Writing for Master's and Ph.D. Program

• Subhash Chandra Parija 0 ,
• Vikram Kate 1

Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed University), Pondicherry, India

You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

Department of Surgery, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, India

The book covers all aspects of writing a thesis and dissertation in detail

Chapters are easy to understand with essential contents for writing thesis presented in a lucid manner.

Easy to follow algorithms, key points and case scenarios in each chapter to enhance the understanding of the topics.

The chapters are arranged in a manner that the reader will understand the importance of each section of the thesis writing and will be able to write the protocol, register with clinical trial registry, conduct the research and write the final dissertation.

113k Accesses

12 Citations

235 Altmetric

• Table of contents

About this book

Editors and affiliations, about the editors, bibliographic information.

• Publish with us

Buying options

• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Durable hardcover edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (28 chapters)

Front matter, deciding on the topic/area of research/approval, thesis, dissertation and project.

• Subhash Chandra Parija, Vikram Kate

Objectives of Writing Thesis

• Meena A. Pangarkar, Nitin V. Pangarkar, Anand V. Pangarkar

Choosing a Suitable Research Area and Supervisor

• Prashant Joshi

Assessing Availability of Facilities, Infrastructure and Resources

• Puneet Dhar, Johns Shaji Mathew

Obtaining Support and Grants for Research

• William Y. Shi, Julian A. Smith

How to Write a Protocol

• Mukta Wyawahare, Raja Kalayarasan, Anahita Kate

Approval of the Institute Review Board, Ethics Committee and Registering with the Clinical Trial Registry

• Zile Singh, P. Stalin

Conduct of Research and Analysis

Plan and conduct of research: observational and interventional study designs.

• Vikram Kate, Sathasivam Sureshkumar, Mohsina Subair

Data Management in Clinical Research

• Karthik Balachandran, Sadishkumar Kamalanathan

Preparing and Decoding the Master Chart

• Meenakshi Girish, Senthil Amudhan

Statistical Analysis: Data Presentation and Statistical Tests

• Mahalakshmy Thulasingam, Kariyarath Cheriyath Premarajan

Structuring the Material and Writing the Thesis

Preparing a title page, abstract and table of contents page.

• Kiruthika Sivasubramanian, Rajive Mathew Jose, Stuart Enoch

Methods and Materials in a Thesis

• Sanjay Gupta

Writing the Review of Literature in a Thesis

• A. M. Quraishi

Drawing Observations from Data and Making Conclusions

• Rajesh Panwar, Peush Sahni

Resources for Dissertation Writing

• Getting Started
• Proposals and Prospectuses
• Literature Reviews
• Humanities and the Arts Resources
• Social/Behavioural Sciences Resources
• Sciences Resources
• Business Resources
• Formatting and Submitting Your Dissertation
• Tips: Making Progress, Staying Well, and More!

UBC Library Research Commons

About This Section of the Guide

In this section, UBC Research Commons staff have compiled a number of books available through UBC Library that might help you in your dissertation writing. In addition to the general books on this page, there are also pages with books related to writing in the Humanities and the Arts , the Social and Behavioural Sciences , the Sciences , and Business . For disciplines that fall under more than one of these broad areas, such as education or social work, we've included the books in all the broad disciplines that seem to be most appropriate.

If there's a book you've used that doesn't appear on any of these pages, please e-mail us and let us know!

General Dissertation Writing Books and E-Books

Older Books and E-Books

These books may be somewhat dated now, but can still provide useful tips for writing theses and dissertations.

• << Previous: Literature Reviews
• Next: Humanities and the Arts Resources >>
• Last Updated: Jun 23, 2021 9:58 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.ubc.ca/dissertation

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, August 15). How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, how to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, what is your plagiarism score.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Don't Miss a Post! Subscribe

• Book Summaries
• Books for Teachers
• Research Methodology Books
• Themed Book Lists
• Beyond Books

Selected Reads

A blog for bibliophiles covering everything related to books from reviews and summaries to quotes and open articles.

Best Dissertation Writing Books

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Published: June 18, 2023 | Updated: November 11, 2023

Dissertation writing books are the topic of our blog post today!

Embarking on a dissertation is a pivotal moment in any scholar’s academic journey, marking the culmination of years of study and research. It’s a daunting task, often filled with challenges that test even the most diligent of students. Recognizing the complexity and significance of this endeavor, I’ve compiled a list of essential books to aid you in your dissertation journey.

These dissertation writing books, carefully selected based on their practicality and insightful guidance, are invaluable resources for any PhD candidate. Whether you’re struggling with formulating your research question, navigating the intricacies of your methodology, or simply seeking to refine your writing skills, these books offer a wealth of knowledge and tips from seasoned academics.

In this post, we will delve into each of these books, exploring how they can ease the burden of dissertation writing and guide you towards successful completion of your academic milestone.

Related: Best Grant Writing Books

Dissertation Writing Books

Here are our top picks for dissertation writing books:

1. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , by Kate L. Turabian et al.

Turabian’s guide is a thorough exploration of the research and writing process, tackling each step with precision. The book expertly navigates Chicago’s two source citation styles and covers various facets of editorial style, including quotations and visual material.

Additionally, the manual offers practical solutions to overcoming the common fear of embarking on significant writing projects. An essential resource for anyone engaged in academic writing.

2. How to Write a Thesis , by Umberto Eco 

Eco presents an invigorating approach to crafting a thesis. Divided into six integral sections, the book covers all facets of the thesis-writing process. It delves into defining and understanding the purpose of a thesis, selecting a compelling topic, conducting detailed research, crafting a work plan, the actual process of writing, and finally, refining the final draft. Eco’s lucid style and practical advice make this book a valuable guide for any student.

3. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day , by Joan Bolker

Joan Bolker’s insightful book offers a much-needed support system for dissertation writers. A co-founder of the Harvard Writing Center, Bolker presents valuable tips and encouragement for graduate students to keep them focused and productive. She emphasizes the joy of devoting oneself to a truly engaging project and teaches strategies to overcome fear and improve writing style.

Related: Books on How to Write a Literature Review

4. How to Finish Your Dissertation in Six Months , by Scott Rank

Rank’s guide provides practical strategies to write a dissertation within a relatively short timeframe. The book shares an effective daily habit, tips on making consistent writing inevitable, managing incomplete research, leveraging advisor meetings, and seeking active help from friends. A game-changer for those struggling with time constraints in their doctoral journey.

5. The Dissertation Warrior , by Guy E. White 

White’s book aims to inspire and guide doctoral students on their transformative journey. He addresses various aspects of dissertation writing and personal growth, focusing on efficient time management, aligning research and writing efforts, drafting an impactful introduction, and constructing a comprehensive literature review. A valuable guide that connects academic perseverance with personal development.

6. Authoring a PhD Thesis , by Patrick Dunleavy 

Dunleavy’s comprehensive guidebook offers practical advice on formulating creative ideas, structuring them logically, drafting and revising text, and successfully completing a dissertation. It covers important aspects of the doctoral journey, such as facing examinations and getting work published. An essential resource for PhD candidates looking to effectively manage their work and intellectual challenges.

7. Getting the Best of Your Dissertation , by Dave Harris

Harris draws from multiple disciplines to provide a series of perspectives aimed at making your dissertation process more efficient and satisfying. The book delves into integrating dissertation work into your life, developing a productive writing practice, managing relationships with professors, designing research, and more. A comprehensive guide for achieving greater value from your doctoral journey.

8. Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation , by Randy L. Joyner, William A. Rouse, Allan A. Glatthorn 

This book is a well-rounded resource for scholars seeking guidance in every phase of their research journey. The book provides insights on utilizing new technologies, effective planning, engaging writing style, defense preparation, and more. The updated fourth edition includes current case studies, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the teachings contained within.

9. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing , by Paul J. Silvia

Silvia provides strategies to dismantle common excuses and bad habits that hinder writing. His approach encompasses various academic disciplines and offers practical steps to motivate academics to be more prolific writers. The book discusses how to write, submit, and revise academic work, promoting a balanced work-life while achieving writing goals. The second edition includes an additional chapter on writing grant and fellowship proposals.

10. Writing for Social Scientists , by Howard S. Becker 

Becker’s guide is a refreshing take on academic writing, emphasizing the importance of simply starting to write and then revise. It uncovers the eccentricities of academic writing, such as unnecessary wordiness and the passive voice, and provides practical solutions to overcome them. This is a must-read for writers aiming to improve their style and efficiency in academic writing.

11. The Elements of an Effective Dissertation and Thesis , by Raymond L. Calabrese

Calabrese offers a systematic guide to writing an impressive doctoral dissertation or a master’s thesis. The book breaks down the elements of the dissertation, providing detailed descriptions, definitions, and examples. The approach accommodates both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, helping students understand what content to include and where it fits best.

12. Dissertation Without Tears , by Natalya Androsova

In this empowering guide, Androsova tackles the pressure and guilt associated with dissertation writing. The book offers tips to find joy and fulfillment in the writing process, stressing the importance of self-compassion. It debunks 58 myths about dissertation writing and replaces them with a healthy mindset that facilitates a smooth journey to the finish line.

13. Demystifying Dissertation Writing , by Peg Boyle Single 

Single’s guide offers a straightforward and systematic process to dissertation writing. The book aims to enhance writing fluency and productivity, offering guidance on topic selection, planning, scheduling, and actual writing. It is especially beneficial for those who feel they aren’t receiving enough guidance and for those seeking to increase their writing productivity.

14. How to tame your PhD , by Inger Mewburn 

Dr. Mewburn, founder of The Thesis Whisperer blog, shares practical strategies for efficient research and writing based on her own doctoral journey. The book consists of re-edited and expanded blog posts offering a wealth of advice on completing a PhD effectively. It is a companion guide that demystifies the PhD process and guides readers towards successful completion.

15. The Dissertation Journey , by Carol Roberts, Laura Hyatt

This guide is a comprehensive resource for developing and writing a quality dissertation. It provides updated coverage of conducting a literature review, harnessing technology for research, and using progress tracking tools. The guide is filled with sample forms, resource lists, and other user-friendly elements, making the dissertation journey smoother and more manageable.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, the PhD journey is an arduous yet transformative path that demands not only intellectual rigor but also emotional resilience. The experience, as I have personally navigated through its trials, offers profound personal growth and a deeper understanding of one’s field of study.

Facing the adversity of my mother’s illness amidst my PhD was a defining challenge, but it underscored the importance of a strong support system and the resilience needed to persevere. The selection of books I have shared in this post, each offering unique insights and practical advice on dissertation writing, represents a valuable resource for anyone embarking on or currently navigating this demanding academic endeavor.

These dissertation writing books, covering a wide range of topics from research methodology to time management and writing skills, can serve as essential tools to guide, inspire, and support PhD candidates through their journey, making the daunting task of dissertation writing more manageable and ultimately leading to successful completion and personal fulfillment.

Related Posts

• Demystifying Dissertation Writing Summary and Takeaways

Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

Join our mailing list

Subscribe to our email list for bite-sized book summaries, curated recommendations, and exclusive content.

Subscribe  for exclusive resources .

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Political Science: Books for Thesis Writers

• Articles and Theses
• Data + Statistics
• Popular Journals
• Congressional News
• Security Studies News
• Books for Thesis Writers
• Search Tips
• Interlibrary Borrowing - Articles

Literature Review Resources

Dissertation Resources

• << Previous: Security Studies News
• Next: Search Tips >>
• Last Updated: Jan 30, 2024 5:18 PM
• URL: https://libguides.mit.edu/polisci

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Int J Appl Basic Med Res
• v.12(3); Jul-Sep 2022

Thesis Writing: The T, H, E, S, I, S Approach – Review of the Book

Vijendra devisingh chauhan.

1 Pro Vice Chancellor, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

2 Professor and Head, Department of Orthopedics, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Dr. Rajiv Mahajan, Dr. Tejinder Singh, editors. 2022. 1st ed. Jaypee Brothers, Medical Publishers (P) Ltd.354. Rs. 795/-. ISBN: 978-93-5465-131-1.

After a long time, I am seeing a book on thesis writing which would be of a great use for the medical fraternity and especially, the postgraduates (PGs).

I recapitulate my residency days when I did my thesis project. I had no clue from where to begin; I was fortunate to have a good mentor who mentored me but every PG resident is not so lucky. This book will definitely supplement the efforts being made by PG thesis supervisors in guiding the PGs.

After going through the book, it inspired me to write a review. The title of the book is so catchy “THESIS WRITING ‒ the T, H, E, S, I, S. Approach.” It compelled me to peep into the book and explore the acronym ‒ T: Tickling, H: Hologram, E: Expansion, S: Scenarios, I: Improvisation, and S: Summary. I found that every chapter is crafted using this philosophy. The second reason which stimulated me to go through this book is that it has been authored by well-known medical educationists who could appreciate the real need of the PGs of this country.

I have no hesitation in saying that not only fresh PGs but even many of their guides may be ignorant of what constitutes writing/guiding a quality thesis. J. Frank Dobi once said “ The average PhD thesis is nothing but transference of bones from one graveyard to another .” Moreover, this is true even for PG medical thesis produced in this country every year. I quote Prof. Vivek A Saoji, Vice-Chancellor, KLE Academy of Higher Education of Research, Belgaum, Karnataka, who has appropriately mentioned in his foreword of this book, “ Proper guidance and training will go a long way in improving the quality of research the postgraduates do and in turn the quality of thesis .”

Usually, in a multiauthored book, style changes with every chapter. Credit goes to the editors, Dr. Rajiv Mahajan and Dr. Tejinder Singh for keeping the uniform language, writing style, and format for each chapter. Hence, one finds continuity and connectivity between the chapters. The editors have ensured that the reader remains hooked to the book till the end. The flowcharts and boxes have been provided for easy remembrance and recapitulation of the salient features of the chapters. I personally feel that these tables, boxes, and flowcharts must be printed and hanged in the seminar room of the departments. I would suggest authors to prepare a small booklet so that these flowcharts are available to the students in their pockets when they are embarking on their thesis.

The book begins with a chapter on “Role and importance of thesis in PG training.” It talks about the statutory and mandatory requirements of the training and how research and publication can open new vistas and opportunities for a PG student. The author has supplemented the list of funding agencies and the nature of support extended for research. The chapter ends with a beautiful inspiring story of Dr. Althesis, tips for conducting a research – a self-checklist to facilitate writing a PG thesis and tips for writing a high-quality thesis.

Chapter 2 deals with the basic concepts of research. It describes lucidly what makes good research and different types of research, i.e., quantitative, qualitative, basic and applied research, and prominent features of each. The author has nicely depicted commonly employed sampling strategies. Stress has been laid on collecting tools for data collection and establishing ethical considerations. Simple examples of quantitative and qualitative research make things simplified for readers.

Chapter 3 is on research design. I need to congratulate the editors for providing a separate chapter on research design. Yes, this is a big confusion for the teacher as well as for the students. A nice pictorial classification has been provided and each design has been explained in a Lucid language with examples so that the PGs can choose the right design for the thesis. I liked the flowcharts and boxes provided, particularly ‒ criteria to choose research design and ‒ choosing study design. The author has used an analogy to explain certain difficult terminology. It made things so simple, both for teachers as well as students.

Chapter 4 ‒ how to start a research describes the importance of the research problem, how to identify the broad problem, and develop a research question. It reflects on types of research questions and explains beautifully what constitutes a good research question using PICO-T and C-Re FINERS criteria. The author has done a creditable job of explaining the concept of hypothesis and various steps involved in writing a good hypothesis; and has rightly cautioned the readers about the errors in hypothesis testing.

Chapter 5 deals with aims and objectives. I am sure after reading this chapter, the students would be able to frame the aim and objectives for their research with great ease. Every chapter provides you with the scenario for easy and better understanding, followed by tips.

Chapter 6 deals with a review of the literature. This is the most difficult and tedious part of a thesis, but one of the most important parts. The author has demonstrated how to use various commonly used search engines, how to develop strategies for literature search, identify the keywords, and the use of Boolean operators. Emphasis is on how to critically analyze the searched material and write the literature review.

A full chapter has been devoted to writing a synopsis which every PG has to submit within the 1 st semester of the PG program. The chapter on materials and methods (M&M) has been prepared like a recipe in a cookbook. A lot of stress is on how to write M&M. The tips provided are worth remembering.

I have seen students and their mentors frequently rushing to the statistician for the calculation of the sample size. Chapter 9 has touched this subject beautifully. It starts with why we need an adequate sample size for any research. It then goes on to ingrain the recipe of sample size, calculation, effect size, standard deviation, type 1 error, power, direction of the effect, expected attrition, and statistical test and each is explained with examples.

Chapter 10 is on results and inferences; the authors have given very practical tips for the presentation of the results. There are general tips on preparing tables, graphs, pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and scatter plots. The authors have nicely described P value and its utility in deriving scientific inferences.

Managing the timeline is a very important aspect in the life of the resident. The resident is busy in clinics, patient care, operation theaters, and teaching and at the same time, he has to conduct a research. Managing time is an art. The editors have devoted a separate chapter on this subject. Concepts of the time management matrix, the Gantt chart, and the backward planning have been adequately explained in this chapter.

Ethics and plagiarism are a buzz word now. A separate chapter has been devoted to cover various ethical aspects involved in thesis writing and publications. The authors have discussed in detail about autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, informed consent, the consent process and plagiarism, and how to avoid plagiarism. I am happy to note the topic of plagiarism has been touched and the penalties described by University Grant Commission have been included. Tools to be used for detection have been mentioned. In fact, without a plagiarism check, thesis should not be submitted. A small mention about the availability of various platforms for uploading thesis could have been added. A checklist to avoid plagiarism is appreciated.

A student of medicine is afraid of “biostatistics” and always confused which test needs to be used for his thesis. The authors have provided a nice table on how to choose the appropriate statistical tests. The authors have nicely defined various variables, data collection, data entry and cleaning, assessing the distribution of data, approach to data analysis, and application of post hoc tests. A separate chapter has been devoted to IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, IBM Corp. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp) for data validation and analysis and how to make good use of this tool.

Compilation of thesis is very important. Majority of the universities provide templates of the title page and the certificates to be annexed. The authors have lucidly and in a systematic manner described what needs to be done under each heading. They also discussed about research and ethics committee approval letters, pro forma of study, consent forms, master charts, photos, permission letter from other institution if applicable, conflict of interest form (for funded projects), disclosure of the source of funding (if applicable), Gantt chart, certificate of clinical trials registry-India registration (if applicable), and above all are very useful tips for writing the thesis draft and binding of thesis document.

Handling revision is a big issue. The movement the student hears this, he becomes disturbed. The authors have nicely discussed about the reasons for thesis revisions in a tabular form. I liked the tables ‒ how to communicate to the examiners after making revisions. The authors also provided useful tips for preventing rejection and revisions.

Chapters 18 and 19 talk about disseminating thesis research through quality poster and publication of the paper. These two chapters are very practical chapters and I am sure the students would definitely be benefited. I am sure if these practical tips are followed, we would see quality posters and publications from our PGs. A separate chapter devoted to a manuscript-based thesis introduces the readers to a different approach of thesis writing – like a manuscript.

The book ends with chapters on translation education research. It talks about how a student can place his research into “a knowledge to action cycle” and how can PG students strive to achieve translation of their research to standard practice.

All good medical institutions in the country are running 2–3 days’ workshop on research methodology. I think if we can design these workshops based on the basic principles illustrated in this book, it would ensure consistency in the research component in the PG curriculum and second, things would become easy for students to comprehend.

I would like to end with the quote of Mortimer J. Adler: “ In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” Yes, “Thesis Writing: The T, H, E, S, I, S Approach” gets through to you and I am sure it would inspire you to revisit it again and again.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Inside the best-Seller list

If You Give a Kid a Notebook, He’s Going to Ask for Time to Write

John Schu is a best-selling author, a children’s librarian and a tireless evangelist for the power of a blank page.

By Elisabeth Egan

Elisabeth Egan is an editor at the Book Review and the author of “A Window Opens.”

When John Schu was admitted to Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville, Ill., as a teenager, the staff gave him a gray notebook and encouraged him to write in it every day. “I would write a lot in the beginning, but I refused to share anything,” Schu said in a phone interview. “I would do some of the assignments, but I would always say, ‘Nobody can read it.’”

He spent more than two years in outpatient and inpatient programs, receiving treatment for anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression. “ Louder Than Hunger ,” Schu’s best-selling novel for middle graders, is a fictionalized account of this ordeal (including “the Voice” inside his head, spewing criticism).

But back to that gray notebook. In 1996, while Schu was still at Linden Oaks, he appeared via satellite on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to talk about his struggles with eating. His mother was in the studio with Winfrey. On her lap, she held the volume containing Schu’s poetry, his goals for the future and a drawing of the inside of his heart.

“My psychiatrist had given my mom my notebook,” Schu said. “I don’t think I was ever honest in my writing after that because I felt betrayed. I became an unreliable narrator.” Thankfully, there was some catharsis in writing his protagonist, Jake Stacey: “Even though I’m not 100 percent Jake, I got to do the assignments I wish I had done when I was hospitalized.”

Now a frequent classroom visitor — he estimates that he speaks to around 1,500 students per week — Schu always emphasizes the importance of writing. “My favorite thing to tell kids is that I don’t write on the computer until I know the whole story,” Schu said. “Every draft is written in a notebook. I show them pictures of my notebooks. I always tell them that my notebook cost $4.83 and it was worth every penny.”

Throughout his 45-minute presentation, Schu scans the faces in front of him, looking for the student who needs a notebook more than anyone else in the audience. He has a certain radar for kids who are going through something, he explained; the ones who, like Jake, have a hard time taking up space. “I can see a heaviness,” Schu said.

Before he leaves, Schu tucks a pen into the spiral of a notebook and gives it to the child he’s chosen. He doesn’t make a big deal of it; he doesn’t want to overwhelm anyone: “I always say to them, ‘When I first start writing, it’s terrifying to fill that first page. I’ve already done that; I filled the whole page with a poem. So the notebook is ready for you, and it’s the most powerful tool.’”

Elisabeth Egan is a writer and editor at the Times Book Review. She has worked in the world of publishing for 30 years. More about Elisabeth Egan

The Best Book Club Picks for April

Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Rebecca Joines Schinsky is the executive director of product and ecommerce at Riot New Media Group. She co-hosts All the Books! and the Book Riot Podcast. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccaschinsky .

View All posts by Rebecca Joines Schinsky

The Bridge is Back

We’re months away from cuffing season, but I’ve got your 2025 Valentine’s Day plans on lock. Find your best recipe for blue soup and get ready for  the fourth Bridget Jones movie ! Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, and Emma Thompson will all be returning for the adaptation of  Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy , which will be released on Peacock here in the U.S. and in theaters internationally. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall (whom you might recognize from his turn as bad boy Jack in season two of The White Lotus) are also set to join the cast. 

Find Me in the Club

Publishers Weekly has rounded up  a whole bunch of book club picks for April , including the latest Reese’s Book Club selection,  The Most Fun We Ever Had  by Claire Lombardo. This is notable because book club picks are generally new releases, and Lombardo’s excellent novel is  five years old . Indeed, it was one of my faves of 2019. Before you get too 🤔 about it, let me solve the mystery:  Witherspoon has already optioned Lombardo’s upcoming novel ,  Same As It Ever Was (coming June 18 from Doubleday) for television. Will Reese’s Book Club feature it in June? Choosing two books by the same author in a three-month period would be a weird look, but synergy wants what it wants. 

Beach Read  Director on Writing Her Own Romance

Yulin Kuang is one to watch . Her romance novel  How to End a Love Story  is out this week, and while it is her literary debut, it’s far from her first brush with romance. The multi-hyphenate creator has signed on to adapt not one but two Emily Henry books ( People We Meet on Vacation  and  Beach Read ) for the big screen, the latter of which she will also write. And to make it meta, her own novel is about a novelist and screenwriter working on an adaptation together. 

8 of the Best Queer Sports Romances

A romance between professional roller derby players?! Yes, please.  These all sound like fun , but that’s the one to beat IMO.

Find more posts like this via our subscription publication, Today in Books! Get access to our daily newsletter rounding up some of the biggest bookish headlines of the day for free, or you can sign up for a paid subscription to get additional content and access to community features.

You Might Also Like

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! Please check your email for confirmation from us.

Venus Williams draws from personal health and wellness journey in new book

The tennis champion will release "STRIVE," an innovative yet simple-to-follow life enhancement program based on Williams' eight essential principles: Observe, Appreciate, Balance, Enrich, Soothe, Believe, Inspire, and Strive, on Sept. 10.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link Link Copied

Venus Williams draws from her own health and wellness journey in her second book.

On Sept. 10, the tennis champion will release “STRIVE,” an innovative yet simple-to-follow life enhancement program based on Williams’ eight essential principles: Observe, Appreciate, Balance, Enrich, Soothe, Believe, Inspire, and Strive.

“As an athlete, I know the perseverance and consistency it takes to accomplish your goals and get true results. With STRIVE, my goal is to share the tips and tricks that helped me in my own personal wellness and nutrition journey,” Williams said in a statement. “These are the tools that kept me from burning out on a lifestyle that I wanted and believed in, a lifestyle that helped me feel confident, powerful, and capable.”

In each chapter, readers will learn how to apply Williams’ principles to four different aspects of their lives — diet, activities, environment, and self.

Williams will also include personal stories that, in the publisher’s words, will be an “extension” of her message of “self-empowerment, resilience, and the pursuit of one’s best self.”

Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins, will publish “STRIVE,” which will also be available via eBook and audiobook.

Recommended Stories

Is it time for Venus Williams to retire?

Serena Williams has a 2-book deal, starting with an ‘intimate’ and ‘open-hearted’ memoir

Associated Press

Michelle Obama shares personal stories of coping in new book

Ready to try something new? Tabitha Brown tells theGrio’s ‘Writing Black’ how she does it

Maiysha Kai

Gift like theGrio: Black-centric books to inspire and heal

The brokenhearted are embracing ‘All About Love.’ But pssst, the Black author’s book is really about justice

Find your next favorite read with the best of Black BookTok

Romance novelist Kennedy Ryan inspires her readers to put self-love first

Kayla Grant

According to the publisher’s website, HarperCollins — which also published Williams’ 2010 book “Come to Win” — “aims to educate, entertain, and empower readers interested in the past, present, and future of Black people throughout the diaspora.”

People reported that Williams has expanded into the health and wellness entrepreneurship space in recent years, adding Happy Viking, a plant-based protein brand, to her list of business ventures.

“In STRIVE, Venus invites readers to experience her own tried and true strategies for body empowerment and emotional empowerment as well,” HarperVia, Amistad, and HarperCollins Español Deputy Publisher Tara Parsons added in a statement.

• Share on Facebook Facebook
• Share on Twitter Twitter
• Share via Email Email
• Copy Link Copy Link Link Copied

STREAM FREE MOVIES, LIFESTYLE AND NEWS CONTENT ON OUR NEW APP