I receive less mail about The PhD Application Handbook but today I had perhaps the nicest feedback so far.

Dear Dr. Bentley,

I wanted to thank you for publishing the PhD application book which has been exceptionally helpful to me.

After graduating in 2004 , I attempted several times to apply for MSc/PhD programs around the world without success.

However, I picked up you book a month back and applied once more using your advice.

I am happy to say that a top ranking university in UK has offered me a fully funded PhD in comp. sci. starting in January.

I am most grateful to you being a part of my sucess.

The PhD Application Handbook doesn't generate as much mail as my other books, but now and again I get a nice email like this one from USA. I replied, thanking her.

For years, I have been interested in going abroad for a PhD; after perusing your PhD Application Handbook on Google Books, I had to get a copy. As a US citizen, it has been difficult learning how to navigate foreign academic and funding institutions and their respective schemes and requirements. Thank you (!) for your book! It has been helpful in addressing all the small but important questions.

In November last year my book for doctoral candidates The PhD Application Handbook was reviewed in a newsletter. I didn't like the review very much - it was biassed, factually incorrect, and the reviewer had poor knowledge of the topic. Write enough books (and speak your mind often enough) and you always end up with one or two reviews like that. I normally have a rant to my friends ("but that's just wrong!", "did they even read it?", "are they stupid?") and then forget about it. This time (I can't remember why), I wrote my rant down and sent it to the publisher of the newsletter - the UK Council of Graduate Education. To their credit, they appear to have actually published my author's response in the next newsletter. If only I could correct every annoying review like this! You can read my (slightly annoyed and clearly frustrated) words by clicking here.

I was rather surprised to come across an online leaflet written by the Centre for Career Development at Nottingham University. Surprised because much of the content seems to be taken directly from my book the PhD Application Handbook. Well they say imitation is the best form of flattery (I wonder if that applies to duplication). To be fair, they do acknowledge the book. So it's nice to have some fans out there. You can read the leaflet for yourself here:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/shared/shared_careers/leaflets/pdf/Thinking_About_a_PhD_lflet.pdf