Editor's Note: In the recently published second edition of Academic Environment: A Handbook for Evaluating Employment Opportunities in Science (Washington, D.C., Taylor & Francis, 1995), author Karl W. Lanks provides a detailed system for assessing the atmosphere, working conditions, and productivity of various types of research environments. In the following sometimes acerbic excerpt, Lanks-head of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at Staten Island University Hospital-describes important steps in evaluating a particular job offer. Much of the latter part of the book is devoted to rankings of specific institutions, based on his survey of more than 1,500 faculty and professional staff. The first edition of Academic Environment was self-published by the author and yet was able to sell more than 6,000 copies as word of its usefulness spread on Internet newsgroups.
The relief and excitement afforded by a firm employment offer after at least 15 years of preparation account ...
