The Independent Scholar's Handbook [Paperback]

Ronald Gross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1982

This book is, without question, the most valuable work around for those who pursue an interest in a serious, systematic way. Completely revised and updated by the author, the handbook points to resources, organizations, and people, and helps the reader to understand the development and use of such expertise.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you have been led to believe that scholarly contributions are the domain of only those who reside in the halls of academia, this book will show you otherwise. It is a do-it-on-your-own approach to becoming a knowledge seeker and creator, and having access to the same benefits afforded those associated with universities. Given here is information on how to design, fund and bring to fruition your project in the same tradition as independent creations like the Boston Women's Health Collective's Our Bodies, Ourselves (198) or Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party. This book is about pursuing your passions and being a free thinker while giving you the tools to sculpt those ideas into a finished form. -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by Ilene Rosoff --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

When I asked Betty Friedan what overall lesson or moral she would draw for independent scholars from these experiences in conceiving, researching, and writing The Feminine Mystique, she said:

It probably has something to do with becoming intellectually autonomous not uncommonly....We free-lancers, for that's what many of us are, have to structure a growth pattern for ourselves-we can't just settle into a professorial "role" that's already there, provided by an institution. In many cases we have to innovate, to find something truly new and important, if we want to interest editors and readers, and command a following. No one pays much for rehashed, dull, or derivative writing-unlike the recognition which such stuff can command in academe. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company (June 1982)
• ISBN-10: 0201105152
• ISBN-13: 978-0201105155
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #911,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Preparation and motivation to lead the scholarly life, November 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Independent Scholar's Handbook: How to Turn Your Interest in Any Subject into Expertise (Paperback)

This book is a "must read" for recovering academics as well as other individuals who would choose to pursue scholarly interests outside of formalized research institutions. This book offers common sense advice and uncommon sources of resources that are invaluable to both the beginning and experienced scholar. Each chapter ends with an insightful anecdote about the challenges faced and hurdles overcome by other independent scholars. The tone of the book is both motivating and empowering, yet low-key and scholarly. The content of the book includes methods and resources, yet the style of dissemination is far more elegant than that found in a typical "how to" book.

If you don't have an academic background and are unsure of your ability to succeed as an independent scholar, you should read this book. Passion, persistence, and the pursuance of craftsmanship are open to anyone who would choose to travel this path.

If you have an academic background and are considering leaving the ivory tower, you should read this book. Despite the self-important messages that you have been inundated with on campus, there exists a world of honorable and respected scholars outside of the university system with whom you can share intellectual companionship and challenge.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great one, June 6, 2004

By 

Ken McCarthy (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Independent Scholar's Handbook (Paperback)

The original edition of this book literally changed my life.

In addition to the sound and very detailed advice and suggestions Gross offers in this book (see the review below), his account of the many 'un-certified' experts who've advanced human progress over the centuries gave me the courage to chart my own course in life. The result? Tremendous personal satisfaction, real intellectual freedom, recognition in my profession and - as a nice bonus - a whole lot more money that I would have made I remained a cog in the wheel.

Yes, you too can make a significant contribution to the world without being annointed an 'institution.'

This is a brilliant and vastly underrated masterpiece.