"Ms. Mentor's Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia"
"Ms. Mentor's Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia," by Emily Toth; $15.95 paper; 240 pages.
Since its publication early last year, Ms. Mentor's book of sage advice for the woman pursuing an advanced educational degree has received critical praise from readers across the country.
"Everyone who's ever been in academe knows it's a jungle out there, not a grove," the reviewer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote; "Toth's book is a machete sharp enough to hack a path through the undergrowth. She provides excellent practical advice on such topics as dealing with sexual harassment, sexual temptation, choosing a dissertation topic, making it through job interviews, getting through the first year on the job, playing the game of departmental politics to win, and reaching the goal of tenure."
Embellished with characters drawn by Nicole Hollander, the creator of "Sylvia," and full of anecdotes from her many years in the Academy, "Ms. Mentor's Impeccable Advice" is already in its second printing and destined to remain a steady seller.
According to Emily Toth, Ms. Mentor has been inundated with e-mails and letters from women (and men) seeking counsel on difficulties in their department or university, while others simply want to express their support for what they perceive as one of the only persons to take the bull by the horns and address the issue of prejudice and lack of equal opportunity for many women at our universities. A follow-up book full of fresh conundrums and recommendations may be in the works; let's hope so.
--University of Pennsylvania Press
