The Dissertation Warrior: The Ultimate Guide to Being the Kind of Person Who Finishes a Doctoral Dissertation or Thesis

I am working on starting my dissertation, as thus far this book has helped a lot with the motivation. It is broken down into very short, digestible chapters and helps break a very large and daunting project into significantly smaller tasks that can easily be done in smaller work sessions.

This book was recommended to me by another PhD student, actually a new PhD…it is very easy to read and understand…wish I had picked it up before starting my lit review! It made things so much clearer!

Completing the Ph.D. journey shares many similarities with running a marathon: you need the right equipment, a great coach and lots of sweat equity. The Dissertation Warrior provides the requisite tools so that the student is ready to sweat. Dr. Guy is a gifted teacher. Remember that teacher who was your favorite because he was constantly in your corner and knew how to deliver that one bit of inspiration when you desperately needed it, AND who cut through the clutter and called you out on your bad habits? Yes, he’s that teacher.The gift in The Dissertation Warrior lies in both practical strategies for attacking the dissertation itself and perspective on the process. Dr. Guy vehemently debunks the myth that the dissertation is simply a big paper. The Ph.D. is a deeply personal transformation where students cultivate new identities as scholars. That’s what makes it so stinking hard. To change one’s thinking is a massive undertaking. Dr. Guy knows this terrain well, both from personal experience and having shepherded others. After I inhaled his book in two days, I felt more prepared for the work ahead; I keep it close by to help me through the tough days, and there are many. Whether you are just starting the trek or have stalled at mile 13, I whole heartedly encourage you to pick up a copy of The Dissertation Warrior and get your running shoes on.

I'm in the ABD stage of my dissertation for an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction. This book was a lifesaver when it came to understanding how to go about organizing my thoughts around my conceptual and theoretical frameworks, and getting through my literature review. The lit review was the hardest thing I've ever written, and as I read articles through my coursework, I had no real method for keeping track of everything, or organizational system for notetaking until I read this book. Apart from helping me complete my lit review effectively and thoroughly, this book offers plenty of digestible, practical wisdom that has kept me sane and productive for many months. I would have been lost without it, even with wonderful support from my advisor and cohort members.

I agree with another reviewer who wrote that the brevity of the chapters made them seem insignificant. However, I pushed through that hesitation and am very glad that I did. The hardest parts of my dissertation journey, thus far, were developing an acceptable topic, purpose statement, and theoretical framework. Dr. White unravels the mystery of all three: READ & ORGANIZE. This book provides detailed advice on how to research, write, and complete all five chapters and finally, defend your dissertation. There is even a final section about how to handle being stuck or lost. I found the chapters about the literature review (30-40) most helpful, specifically the quote matrix. If you are just beginning your coursework for your degree, get this book NOW. Its advice about collecting quotes necessary for my lit review section would have been even more helpful if I had purchased this book 2 years ago. I regret not getting this book when I first began my coursework.Highly RecommendTime required: Read the entire book in 4 evenings after work while also writing 100 or so annotations.

I stumbled on Dr White about a year before my dissertation and while I took time away from my dissertation to read this, that time will be saved later on! His book is full of dissertation pitfalls, excuses, and solutions to both. He then dives into "how to" get through dissertation, steps to take, and things that you MUST do to be successful the first time (unless you want to delay your graduation). I am one of the fortunate ones that found this book before I started my literature review and thus was able to get a jump start on it. While I am still early in my dissertation, the step by step instruction on writing the proposal and problem statements truly helped. His book recommendations are also very helpful and I know that I will be using this as a reference every time I start a new chapter or simply need to get motivated and restarted. Before Dr. White I was in a sea of confusion, trying to navigate through the dark. By following his instructions and watching his videos I know have a clear idea of where I am heading without wasting a large amount of time.

This is certainly one of the best dissertation books I have read. Dr. White effectively guides the reader through the dissertation process from beginning to end, however, this is not your typical academic guide. The book takes a fair look at the psychological impact of dissertation writing. Dr. White encourages the reader through examples of his own journey from student to committee chair. You will believe anything is possible with hard work and a good team along side. I recommend getting this book early in your doctoral journey - or pick it up later when you need a good leader to show you the way.

I found the offering to be a helpful read.I see this book as a very capable motivational support towards the completion of a Dissertation, while the technical aspects of writing will need to be picked up elsewhere.I don't mean this as a negative, it's actually meant as a positive, if you are stuck in the process....this book will help you!

Excellent help for any postgraduate student! Highly recommend this source! Written with wit and some very precise, useful and well explained steps to follow for preparing and writing each dissertation chapter! Thank you, dr. Guy!

Guy has distilled a range of tools, practices and advice that I found very helpful in advancing my own doctoral thesis. Guy's guidance helped me get through a difficult period during my own doctoral studies and I highly recommend his work.

I am in my fourth year of my doctorate. I wish I read this book in my first year! Guy's book is full of experiential exercises that really helped me get into action. By this book and get yourself a notebook and do all the exercises in the book, one by one in the order that he suggests.This is super helpful, I wish Guy was on my supervisory team.

I like the good advices of the author.