So, you're thinking about doing a PhD in the U.S. Or, you've been accepted into your PhD program. Congrats! It's a big accomplishment. I guess, you would've done your homework beforehand and realized that 85% of PhD students don't get their PhDs, right? It's a harsh stat, but a reality nonetheless. 5 in 6 students who walk in, don't walk out with the title "Dr." Do you want to make sure that you get your PhD? You can. You can set yourself up for success within the first 12 months, if you know how. John discloses the biggest problem of the PhD process and how it reduces PhD students to work-horses, and how all of the subsequent problems that they face can be drawn back to it. He explains how your PhD success hinges on your advisors (and University), how problems arise with them and why, and how to overcome them. Not all advisors (and Universities) were created equal, with many using politics to wield power over you, and many of you aren't even aware of it. Understanding how their political tactics work is the first step to overcoming them. John goes further and explains how to turn it back on them and gain control of your PhD, and life. John got his PhD despite his advisors not wanting him to. The PhD process isn't anything special, it isn't anything magical, it is a fairly simple process. The problem with the PhD process mainly arises from the politics involved, which unfortunately, you're part of whether you know it or not, whether you realize it or not, and most of all, whether you like it or not. The only way around that is to understand the game and understand how to play it. That is what he's detailed in this book. It's all there for you to use and implement into you PhDs to get them. This book instructs you how to set yourself up for success within the first 12 months of your PhD. This is what they don't teach you in Grad School. Get the PhD you signed up for. Dr. John Hockey has been involved with the PhD process for almost 20 years, from hopeful applicant, to PhD student, to recent graduate, to having his own PhD students, to designing PhD programs. He got his PhD in 3.5 years instead of the national average of 8.2 years. He was able to do so by understanding the PhD system and academia. Since finishing his PhD, he has worked around the world at internationally acclaimed Universities. He has had PhD students from all different countries, and backgrounds, and successfully advised them to completion. His knowledge of the academic system is world renowned. He's the best in the business.