"So You Want to Be a Scientist offers readers a glimpse into the "job" of being a research scientist. It is not intended to be a step-by-step "how to" book. Rather, it is intended to fill a hole in the education of most would-be scientists, addressing explicitly many issues that are rarely addressed directly in training programs. Starting with thoughts about how to decide whether you'd want to pursue such a career (and if so, how to get started), the book works through some of the obvious topics relevant to a research profession (e.g. how to write a paper, give a talk, construct a grant proposal). It also examines less obvious, but equally important topics that are generally incorporated into a research education only by trial and error-e.g., "thinking" like a scientist, negotiating scientific politics, dealing with research ethics, and understanding social interactions. Chapters on the challenges and rewards of a career in research science include reflections on science as art and on the social responsibilities of scientists in the modern world. The book is not designed to convince the reader one way or another about a career as a research scientist. Rather, it provides information and insights, based on the author's long career in the laboratory and his rich experience with trainees, that will help the young scientist make better decisions and choices. It may also be useful to teachers, counselors, and parents for a realistic look at the demands and requirements for success in a research career.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Getting Started; 2. Career Choices and Laboratory Nitty-Gritty; 3. How to Think like a Scientist; 4. How to Write a Scientific Paper; 5. Giving Presentations and Talks; 6. How to Compose/Submit Grant Applications; 7. The Politics of Science; 8. Ethical Conduct of Research; 9. Scientific Research as a Creative Enterprise; 10. The Role of the Scientist in Society; 11. Personal Challenges; 12. Rewards and Riches

Reviews

"There are too few good books about the positives and negatives of research careers in science, books aimed at young people who need to make choices in high school or college or even in graduate school. Philip A. Schwartzkroin, a neurosurgeon who specializes in epilepsy research, has written such a book. His book has something for everyone from high school through graduate school. His focus is a career in research, and nearly everything he says is equally applicable to careers in all the basic and applied sciences. It's a readable book, and I cannot imagine anyone interested in a career in science not finding it enormously useful."--Dan Agin, as reviewed in The Huffington Post

"The author is a professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, Davis. Here, he offers 'an invaluable glimpse into the day-to-day life of the researcher' and gives advice on deciding 'whether you'd want to pursue such a career (and, if so, how to get started.'"--As