How to Write a Thesis

By the time Umberto Eco published his best-selling novel The Name of the Rose, he was one of Italy's most celebrated intellectuals, a distinguished academic and the author of influential works on semiotics. Some years before that, in 1977, Eco published a little book for his students, How to Write a Thesis, in which he offered useful advice on all the steps involved in researching and writing a thesis -- from choosing a topic to organizing a work schedule to writing the final draft. Now in its twenty-third edition in Italy and translated into seventeen languages, How to Write a Thesis has become a classic. Remarkably, this is its first, long overdue publication in English. Eco's approach is anything but dry and academic. He not only offers practical advice but also considers larger questions about the value of the thesis-writing exercise. How to Write a Thesis is unlike any other writing manual. It reads like a novel. It is opinionated. It is frequently irreverent, sometimes polemical, and often hilarious. Eco advises students how to avoid "thesis neurosis" and he answers the important question "Must You Read Books?" He reminds students "You are not Proust" and "Write everything that comes into your head, but only in the first draft." Of course, there was no Internet in 1977, but Eco's index card research system offers important lessons about critical thinking and information curating for students of today who may be burdened by Big Data. How to Write a Thesis belongs on the bookshelves of students, teachers, writers, and Eco fans everywhere. Already a classic, it would fit nicely between two other classics: Strunk and White and The Name of the Rose. This MIT Press edition will be available in three different cover colors. ContentsThe Definition and Purpose of a ThesisChoosing the TopicConducting ResearchThe Work Plan and the Index CardsWriting the ThesisThe Final DraftAuthor: Umberto Eco,author,Caterina Mongiat Farina,author,Geoff Farina,author,Francesco Erspamer,author Contributors: Umberto Eco,author,Caterina Mongiat Farina,author,Geoff Farina,author,Francesco Erspamer,author Binding: paperback Number Of Pages: 256 Publication Date: Release Date: Languages: English,Published,English,Original Language,Englis Edition: Translation Published/Release Date: 6 Mar 2015 Format: Paperback / softback Publisher/Studio/Brand: MIT Press Ltd Author/Director/Artist: Umberto Eco Dimension (cm): 203x140x18 mm Package Dimension (cm): 15x201x140 mm Item Weight (g): 289 Package Weight (g): 288