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. Remarkably, this is its first, long overdue publication in English. Ecos 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. "