It’s graduation season again, and whether the graduate in your life is leaving college or onto their professional degree, they’ll have many new responsibilities and challenges to navigate. We’ve rounded up some of UC Press’s bestsellers to help them transition into the future.

For the Law Student Fighting for Gender Parity

Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union
by Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Amanda L. Tyler

A top graduate of Cornell University, Ginsburg went on to Harvard Law in 1956, where her male-dominated class of 560 included just eight other women. In her decades-long career, she labored tirelessly to promote a Constitution that is ever more inclusive and that allows every individual to achieve their full human potential.

Her final book—a curation of her life’s work, co-authored by former Ginsburg clerk and Berkeley law professor Amanda L. Tyler—Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue features:

  • Notable briefs and oral arguments
  • Some of Ginsburg’s last speeches
  • Her favorite opinions that she wrote as a Supreme Court Justice (many in dissent)
  • Statements that she read from the bench in some of the most important cases of her career
  • Documents that tell the story of Ginsburg’s litigation strategy and optimistic vision at the heart of her unwavering commitment to “a more perfect Union.”

For the Graduate Seeking to Make the World a More Humane Place

To Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation
by Paul Farmer, edited by Jonathan L. Weigel, with a foreword by Bill Clinton

“You’re going to have some road angst along the way. Let it invade you, change you, drive you to act. Whether you become doctors or lawyers or bankers or teachers or even theologians, make room for a movement to make this world—a world you’ll shape decisively—a better place.”—Paul Farmer

One of the most passionate and influential voices for global health equity and social justice, Paul Farmer was an inspiring humanitarian, doctor, and activist who left behind an immense legacy. His speeches in To Repair the World:

  • Encourage young people to tackle the greatest challenges of our times
  • Champion the power of partnership against global poverty and climate change
  • Overturn common assumptions about health disparities by considering the large-scale social forces at play
  • Discuss how hope, solidarity, faith, and hardbitten analysis have animated Farmer’s service to the poor
  • Leave readers with an uplifting vision to make the world a safer and more humane place

For the Student Headed to Grad School

Grad School Essentials: A Crash Course in Scholarly Skills
by Zachary Shore

What’s the hardest part of grad school? It’s not simply that the workload is heavy and the demands are high. It’s that too many students lack efficient methods to let them do their best. With humorous, lively prose, Professor Zachary Shore teaches students to master the five most crucial skills needed to succeed: how to read, write, speak, act, and research at a higher level.

A no-nonsense guide, Grad School Essentials offers:

  • Chapter guides on acquiring and developing those five crucial skills
  • Concrete, relatable, and practical methods from real-life academic environments
  • Time-saving tips that will elevate the quality of your work
  • An engaging, easy-to-read, and honest look into the life of a grad student

For the Student Deep in Research

Researching and Writing in History: A Practical Handbook for Students
by F. N. McCoy

Much agony over writing research papers originates in the failure of the academic system to teach students how to use the library and how to write formally structured English. F. N. McCoy’s accessible handbook seeks to develop the student’s self-confidence, believing much writer’s paralysis and graduate school attrition result because able students lack scholarly sophistication.

A step-by-step guide, Researching and Writing in History provides:

  • Preparation tools for writing a research paper, from selecting a topic to editing the final draft
  • Tips for making the best use of library reference materials
  • Outline advice for structuring a thesis
  • Motivation for preparing emotionally for the act of writing and how to achieve clear, easily read and polished paper

For Those on Their Way to A Ph.D.

Revising Your Dissertation, Updated Edition: Advice from Leading Editors
Edited by Beth Luey with a foreword by Sanford G. Thatcher

“At last! An authoritative, up-to-date, succinct, intelligent, and witty guide to making the transition from dissertation to book. A must-give to a graduating Ph.D.”—Charles Grench, Assistant Director and Senior Editor, University of North Carolina Press

The aftermath of graduate school can be particularly trying for those under pressure to publish their dissertations. Written with good cheer and jammed with information, this lively guide offers hard-to-find practical advice on successfully turning a dissertation into a book or journal articles that will appeal to publishers and readers. Revising Your Dissertation will:

  • Help prospective authors master writing and revision skills
  • Offers a better understanding of the publishing process
  • Increase chances of getting writers’ work into print
  • Bring new tips and planning tables to facilitate project scheduling