[apaitch]

I think that spending 4-6 years doing research in an area you love is something anyone would be interested in. In addition, going into it with the decision that you don't want to have a career in academia would free you up from much (though of course not all) of the "game." The OP echoed this sentiment in the memoir. You can go to conferences without worrying about proper "networking" and just talk to people. You can focus on research that interests you even if it's not a "hot" or "prestigious" field among academics, as long as your results are publishable. You still have to bend to the system in some regards if you want to graduate, but I think not having to worry about securing a professorship would really take a lot of the weight off. In fact, I would consider doing a PhD under these conditions :)