Being a grad student is hard work. It seems to me that the greatest challenge isn’t always the science, but maintaining motivation and direction despite working more or less independently for a long time. These days there’s a cottage industry of writers who are out to motivate and inspire you — some with a particular focus on academics. Still, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a book which contains as high a concentration of quality advice as these (short, free, online) lists:
Some Modest Advice for Graduate Students is something I hope most graduate students in any discipline read. Our zoology grad students included a link to it in the orientation information for new students!
The Art of Mediocrity by Paul Keddy has been on a wall near my desk for a long time. And I still find lots of good reminders in this punchy 12-item list. My favourite right now is #4) Avoid familiarity with other living creatures.