Book Description
Combining guidance for writing over forty types of professional documents with thorough coverage of grammar, usage, and style, Handbook of Technical Writing functions as both a writers handbook and a complete guide to technical communication. New features include: Redesigned sample documents Stronger focus on rhetorical concerns Discipline-specific coverage of research and documentation, including guidelines for IEEE documentation style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Great Product
My daughter needed this for school.Product was shipped quickly and is doing the job.

good reference book
I ordered this book for one of my technical writing classes and was/am very satisfied with it. Great reference book for all English majors, or anyone wanting to better their use of the English language. Highly recommended.

Nice general guide but little else
I purchased this book online while doing a massive repair job on a series of Engineering Manuals that were filled with writing errors and confusing information. This book is more like a handy dandy thesaurus but for real technical writing, it is virtually uselesss. The Microsoft Word Help Index has better examples. I found it to be confusing and actually a bit disorganized with tons of info that most people past English 101 should know, especially Technical Writers or those who describe themselves as being so. I don't recommend it.

The Handbook of Technical Writing, Seventh Edition
This is a great book. It is very useful as a reference for technical writing.

Great Book for technical Writing
A must for all those aspiring Technical Writers.
The layout is alphabetical, which makes finding items faster.
Clear instructions with plenty of samples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Concise, Excellent Bang for Buck
A solid, common-sense guide to technical writing that is applicable to writing in general.The tips and pointers presented in this manual will improve all your writing, not just technical.This book makes the excellent point that good technical writing is ultimately just good writing...applied to technical subjects.Excellent buy.

Some value for the price
In order of size, but not importance, the four books Technical Writers need within easy rolling distance are:

1. Strunk and White's powerful Elements of Style
2. Michael Bremer's interesting and motivating Untechnical Writing - How to Write About Technical Subjects and Products So Anyone Can Understand (Untechnical Press Books for Writers Series)
3. Blake and Bly's Elements of Technical Writing (MacMillan)
4. Microsoft's Manual of Style for Technical Publications

I found a number of items are useful for SDK online Help documentation. Blake and Bly state a number of golden rules for Technical Writers, a few of which are useful:

#3) Numbers should appear in the same form they are familiar to readers
#4) Hyphenate numbers and unit of measure, such as 32-bytes
#5) Use singular when 1: .8-bit
#9) Write out approximations: half a glass of water
#11) Spell out numbers beginning a sentence
Center equations (2+2=4) on the page
#25) Hyphenate words compounded to form an adjective modifier. State-of-the-art technology, for example; the phrase state-of-the-art modifies the meaning of word, technology, following the phrase.

Hyphenate two adjacent nouns if they express a single idea: air-craft.

#29) Avoid dangling participles: verbs ending with "ing," when attached to the wrong subject.

Wrong: Turning over our papers, the exam began.
Correct: Turning over our papers, we began the exam.

Omit internal punctuation in acronyms and abbreviations: R.S.V.P
Acronyms for measurements are in lower case: cm for centimeter.
Avoid symbols for words: " for inch.
"that evaluates to" is a common enough phrase in program code documentation, but it is passive (not past tense).
Use imperative voice: begin sentence with a verb.

This is the mini bible for Technical communications
As a technical writer I have found this book an excellent resource.Most examples are short and concise.The rules and examples are probably the most up-to-date in the Technical Communications industry.

Good, but not necessarily for long term use
This book is general in its coverage and doesn't attempt to teach writing. It does teach some mechanics and offersome adivce on how to structure reports and articles.

I found that I read this book once but now don't find it a useful reference. It does contain a number of style guidelines e.g., "representing numbers and math," but many examples are from chemistry and hard sciences; which I found less relevant to me.One chapter discusses what the authors call systems: computers and software.

Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style"provided, in a small space, rules that you might recall for a lifetime. This book is more like a grammar guidebook with a focus on technical material mixed in.

For more examples, you'll need a bigger book on technical writing; and if you want a style guide, you might do well to remember that the basic conventions of English apply to technical writing too. Bly is great writer; unfortunately this is not one of his best books.

An excellent guide
I found this book to be extremely useful.It was easy to read and clearly pointed out the major elements in technical writing.I recommend it to anyone who needs a boost in their writing, but not for someone looking for a thick reference guide.The only reason it gets 4 instead of 5 stars isit didn't have as many examples as I would have liked or any practiceproblems.Overall, it helped me organize my papers properly, avoid commonwriting flaws, and get my main points across. ... Read more

Book Description

This full color 5^th edition of Technical Writing: Process and Product guides readers through the entire writing process—prewriting, writing, and rewriting—developing an easy-to-use, step-by-step technique for writing the types of documents they will encounter on the job. The authors' reader-friendly style engages readers in the writing process and encourages hands-on application. Discusses prewriting, writing, and rewriting in relation to ethics, audience identification, electronic communication, and the role of technical writing in the workplace. For anyone looking to utilize more effective written communication in their jobs.

Customer Reviews (8)

Reports and writing
Lengthy. Covers a lot of information on writing technical reports in an accurate and organized manner.Helpful to those of us who do not write reports on a regular basis.A keeper.

Best tech writing intro book that I have found
I am taking tech writing classes now. Our textbook was terrible. I searched everywhere for good resources and this book was the winner by far. It is a very useful how-to-do-it book. I emphatically recommend this book for anyone in a tech writing role--as a student or at work.

Technical Writing : Process and Product (5th Edition)
This book contains plenty of good information on the process of technical writing. It is however very difficult to read, because of the only style is that it is constantly varying. The authors should take some of their own advice in any future editions.

Technically very good
We use this text by Gerson and Gerson for the technical writing class at the community college where I work. It is an incredibly useful book, particularly for those who are beginning their college careers, and for those who are going into technical fields that require clarity and precision.

Some of the outstanding features of this text include the following:

* Technology tips, providing useful instruction on basic computer literacy
* Techlinks, with updated online material and resources
* Writing at Work Case Studies, showing real-world examples of the ideas being presented
* Before/After Examples, which shows the value of revision
* Sportlights, similiar to the Writing at Work, again shows real-life applications of how business uses technical writing
* Checklists, for ease of remembering and following through on all aspects of the material presented
* Margin Call-Outs, sort of like pull-quotes that highlight particular points of interest in the documents being examined
* Web Workshops and a Companion Website

The units in this book include sections on correspondence (memos, email, letters, including cover letters in trying to find a job), technical publications (fliers, brochures, newsletters, etc.), electronic communications (websites and online help), report writing (MLA and APA styles are presented, as well as methods of research), and a handy handbook of grammar aids as the final section, to help with punctuation, spelling, mechanics and other items of grammatical interest.

There is also a section on oral communication - while this is not a speech textbook, so much of one's business image comes from the way one presents himself or herself orally, on the telephone, in presentations, in interviews, and in everyday conversation. The Gersons also provide some information on using PowerPoint and other visual aids in effective presentations.

This is a great textbook, useful for classroom settings as well as individual study and reference. The layout is visually interesting and well-formatted, We use it in the Tutoring Center of my college in addition to the technical writing course offered on campus, as most classes on campus have an element of writing.

Useful and valuable ....
Terrific, easily readable, and highly recommended for tech writers and those learning the craft, as well as for those corporate staff who will work with tech writers.

Liked the parts on short reports, long reports, grammar, punctuation, research, graphics, oral presentations, instructions, technical description, and objectives.

Did not like the wasted political-correctness (PC) ink devoted to "sexist language," which was unnecessary and does not fit in with the value of the other material in this book.That kind of condescending verbiage detracts from an otherwise superb and useful text.

Still valuable for most readers. ... Read more

Book Description
To succeed in technical writing, you need a lot more than just writing ability. Technical Writing 101 details the skills you need as a technical writer, and it explains how to handle the pressures of tight deadlines and ever-changing product specifications. This valuable reference also describes the entire documentation process—planning, writing, editing, indexing, and production.

This updated second edition features the latest information on single sourcing and a new chapter on how trends in structured authoring and Extensible Markup Language (XML) affect technical writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Straightforward and clear
I thought this book was exactly what it said it was:a 101-level focus on technical writing.From the skills required by a good writer, to a technical writing process, to the task-oriented focus of user guides, this book covered all the basics, and was even written with a sense of humor.I am purchasing this for my technical publications department, because I think it's good to review the basics as a team, and there are specific topics that are newer to the team, such as how to write for globalization.

A one-time read for beginners
This book provides a good overview for those considering a technical writing career. It may also be helpful for engineers and others who work with technical writers or who want basic ideas for preparing documentation. The chatty, breezy writing style makes the book an easy read. But the lack of in-depth information and its focus only on documentation and online help projects limits the book's usefulness as a daily work reference.

Technical Writing 101: A Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Documentation, Second Edition
We received the Manual to help in Associate training. Shipment came in very quickly.We will definitely be ordering from Amazon more in the future, your service has been impeccable!!
Thank you.

Technical Writing
This book is very easy to read and understand. I ordered this book as a supplement to my current book used at my school. I would highly recommend this book to other new technical writers.

Practical and Educational
As the title mentions, Technical Writing 101, provides real-world planning tips. I found it to be very engaging, informative and very easy to read (finished within 24 hours of receiving it). It also sparked ideas on how I could look at a lot of projects I'm personally working on. The way the book is organized doesn't overload you with "too" much information. It also is very generous in providing other resources for further research and knowledge.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to get a good understanding of the technical writing process.
... Read more

Book Description
This book offers an easy-to-use approach towards learning the fundamentals of technical writing. The author's writing style is user-friendly, and engages the reader by providing a comprehensive overview of current topics in technical writing.Chapter topics cover process in technical writing; ethics and globalism in the workplace; organizing information; page design; patterns of organization; process descriptions and instructions; letters, memos, and electronic communication; informal reports; formal reports; proposals and feasibility studies; graphics; oral communication; technical research; and style in technical writing.For professionals in the technical writing field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not timely
This book was in poor condition, and was not sent in timely fashion.It was for a class, and the class had been meeting for three weeks before I received the book.I didn't mind the condition so much because it was not the most current edition, but I couldn't use it so late in the semester.

Technical Writing: A Practical Approach (5th Edition)
Only problem..packaging was very bad, arrived opened. The book was not damaged. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Useful as a quick reference
This book is useful as a quick reference when you have a specific question about writing or formatting a document and have a general familiarity with technical writing. If you are completely new to writing technical documents you will be better served by other books that provide more of a guide through the process and document types. This book could also use a section on how to work with professional writers, because not all engineers or scientists need to fully write or produce technical materials.

Excellent! Highly recommended!
Spring Into Technical Writing is an excellent introduction to technical writing. The book is written for scientists, engineers, and other professionals who have the need or the desire to improve their technical writing skills. The book is practical, well organized, and easy to read. It is filled with useful advice and has lots of excellent examples.

Rosenberg covers all the essential stuff. He emphasizes understanding your target audience, writing in the active voice, writing clearly and concisely, and explaining concepts with useful examples. He explains how to avoid some common punctuation errors. He shows how to effectively use tables, diagrams, and graphics. He includes excellent how-to chapters on writing document plans, specifications, user manuals, release notes, web content, and grants and proposals. He also explains how to craft intelligent e-mail messages, and how to create effective PowerPoint presentations! This may sound dorky, but in today's world, it is essential advice.

I've been a tech writer for ten years. I found this book to be an excellent refresher, and good reminder to look at my own work more critically. If I ever taught an introductory tech writing class, this would be one of my required texts. While I disagree with some of his advice (about 2%), for the most part I found this book to be one of the most practical, no-nonsense books on tech writing I've ever read.

My only complaint is that the book was not well edited. It has so many (minor) editorial errors, I found myself reading the book with a red pen in my hand. For a book on technical writing, this is inexcusable. For that, I'm only giving it four stars. However, the book's content deserves five-stars. Perhaps they'll make the necessary corrections for the second edition?

Great Book!!
There's an interesting story to how I got this book, "Spring Into Technical Writing". I subscribe to a HTML email list that I don't read that often.However, one day, I saw a mention of "Technical Writing" in the subject line and browsed through the email.In the email was a link to a review of "Spring Into Technical Writing".

After reading the review, I was immediately hooked but did not purchase the book immediately.This set up an interesting situation a few weeks later.

I was talking to my old friend one day who works in the East Coast as a technical trainer.I had called her rather late but fortunately she was up.She was relaxing and mentioned she was reading a book by her old boss.Her old boss?Barry Rosenberg.The book? "Spring Into Techncial Writing".

In any case, after finding out the book was written by my friend's old boss, I went online and purchased it a few days later.

The book is an absolute joy to read.It's got a smooth and relaxed style and the humor is good.As someone who has done technical writing (and other writing) for about 1 year on my job, I found a lot of what Barry Rosenberg wrote makes sense.Whether it would be information on how to properly use Power Point slides, email or lists, there's a ton of material for new and old writers to use and reference to.

For those who are considering purchasing this book (and as stated in the book itself), you should be working in some sort of writing capacity to gain the full benefits of this book.If you are someone who wants to see if technical writing is for them, then this isn't the right book and you should consider another book.

For those of us who are already in the writing business, this book has a lot to offer and worth a look.

Should be on every techie's bookshelf...
I wish I had this book available to me about three years sooner...Spring Into Technical Writing for Engineers and Scientists by Barry J. Rosenberg.I'd be much further ahead in my writing skills, that's for sure...

Contents:
Section 1 - Planning to Write: The Quest; Audience; Documentation Plans
Section 2 - Writing - General Principles: Words; Sentences; Paragraphs and Sections; Lists; Tables; Graphics; Professional Secrets
Section 3 - Writing - Specific Kinds of Documents: Manuals; Web Sites; Proposals; Internal Planning Documents; Lab Reports; PowerPoint Presentations; E-Mail
Section 4 - Editing and Producing Documents: Editing and the Documentation Process; Fonts and Typography; Punctuation; Glossary; Bibliography; Index

The Spring Into series is designed to cover topics in one to three page chunks, short enough to quickly allow the busy professional to get what they need to know.Rosenberg does an excellent job in this book of taking a subject that many people dread or outright hate and making it palatable and doable.He doesn't target the professional writer or English teacher who needs to know about dangling particles and such.This is just down to earth, practical advice.I think that many people will get the most out of section 3 which goes into specific writing situations (reports, email, etc.).Since that's where many people in the business world live, the example-driven nature of those chapters will pay back the time investment of the reader in short order.

As someone who enjoys writing and has worked on it over the last couple of years, there was quite a bit that I already knew when I read the material.The problem is that I had to pick it all up by experience.This book would have saved me an immense amount of time in getting better (as well as saving my readers the pain of having to watch me grow).Still, there's a lot here that I either didn't understand or have to be reminded of constantly.Take active vs. passive voice...I *still* can't get rid of that habit...:-)

If I were the manager of a group of techies who need to use the written word to communicate to users and clients, I'd spend the money to get them all a copy of this book.The techies may not thank you directly, but their customers sure will...:-)

A Nice Surprise
I take guilty pleasure from books like Strunks's Elements of Style, etc.The pleasure comes from the nuance of order and rule, while the guilt comes from my own failings from laziness and haste.

This book has some of that; attention is given to use of active voice, punctuation rules and all that.But more importantly,
this is direct and practical advice for the kinds of things many of us do every day: writing email, preparing proposals, creating web pages or Power Point presentatations and so on.The advice is excellent, and the author writes with wit and grace.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and hope that its title doesn't limit its audience.Anyone who does any business related writing will find value here. ... Read more

Book Description

Technical Report Writing Today provides thorough coverage of the technical writing basics, techniques, and applications students are likely to encounter in both their academic courses and their future careers. Its practical presentation of varied examples and exercises helps students internalize the skills necessary to produce clear and effective documents and reports. Annotated student examples—more than 100 in all—illustrate different writing styles and approaches to problems. A chapter on Developing Web Sites introduces students to the basics of effective web site creation by presenting professional and student examples and references to current practices.

Customer Reviews (2)

The best and simplest
This is the best book on the subject I have read thus far.Easy to read and simple to follow, this is text for the those serious about tech writing.

Excellent book for learning technical writing
This book concentrates on the technical writing and communicating forpeople who would like to make professional progress on one's career. Itteaches a lot of techniques for improving orgainzation and clarity ofwriting. It also clarifies many common misunderstanding in the technicalwriting. It is a must for people who have to take care of technicalwriting. ... Read more

Book Description
Let’s face it, a lot of technical documentation reads as if it had been translated into English from Venutian by a native speaker of gibberish. Which is annoying for you and expensive for the manufacturer who pays with alienated customers and soaring technical support costs. That’s why good technical writers are in such big demand worldwide. Now, Technical Writing For Dummies arms you with the skills you need to cash in on that demand.

Whether you’re contemplating a career as a technical writer, or you just got tapped for a technical writing project, this friendly guide is your ticket to getting your tech writing skills up to snuff. It shows you step-by-step how to:

• Research and organize information for your documents
• Plan your project in a technical brief
• Fine-tune and polish your writing
• Work collaboratively with your reviewers
• Create great user manuals, awesome abstracts, and more
• Write first-rate electronic documentation
• Write computer- and Web-based training courses

Combining examples, practical advice, and priceless insider tips on how to write whiz-bang technical documents, Technical Writing For Dummies is an indispensable resource for newcomers to technical writing and pros looking for new ideas to advance their careers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

I guess the clue is in the title
I regularly have to write short technical notes, and occasionally contribute to larger manual-writing projects. I am literate but have had no formal training in technical writing. I imagined that this book would serve as a useful tool to improve my skills in this area, and it is certainly advertised as being aimed at beginners and professionals alike.

Unfortunately, it seems to have been written for an absolute beginner; in fact, at times I thought it was written for an eight-year-old child. Near the start of the book, the author recommends that you write your name on it clearly in case the book goes missing. If this is the kind of handy hint that you find useful, then the rest of the book will not disappoint you. Throughout it is written in a condescending, overly chummy manner, as if the author is trying to get a two year old to eat a Brussels sprout. I hope I never have to wade through any technical documents written by her if this is the style she usually employs to get ideas across.

There are sections that are entirely useless and have presumably been added in to pad out the book (the useful points could certainly have been boiled down to a small pamphlet). For example, there is a lengthy chapter on 'using the internet to perform research', which roughly equates to a 'how to use google' guide. Helpful.

Ultimately, this reads like it was written to make a fast buck. I really couldn't recommend it to anyone, unless you actually are an eight-year-old child putting together a manual on building a sand castle, in which case, this book's for you.But even an eight-year-old wouldn't benefit from the bit abuot using the internet...

Well, it's just another book...
Having been a technical writer for 20+ years, I once again was surprised that someone failed to convey what it's really all about.While it does have some sections that are "worth while," overall, it's just too basic and more in keeping as a college level read.What it boils down to is that 'real technical writing' is a combination of ability, skill, and experience - none of which can really be taught in a book!

Strong on content, but a bit weak in presentation.
As an experienced technical writer already, I bought this book as a general desk reference. It has been a helpful guide when I needed to check something in particular, but I would not use it as a "course textbook" if I was learning the trade.

Generally, the content is excellent - it covers all the basics a novice tech writer needs to know. However, I question the way the content has been organized and presented... it doesn't follow a logical order. There's a section on editing, then a section on brainstorming and figuring out how to start writing, and then later on it swings back to proofreading. Ideally, the information should be presented the same way the writing process generally works: brainstorming, writing the first draft, THEN proofing/editing, and so on.

I also found the short section on "preparing the technical brief" inadequate, considering planning and scoping out requirements is THE most important phase of any documentation project. And for some reason, this information is buried in the "understanding your reader" section, when it should be a separate section all its own (as information about your audience forms only PART of a project plan).

The author has included a few too many personal experiences in this book - understandably she wanted to inject some fun into what could be pretty dry reading material, but her style sometimes comes off as too "cute".

Overall, this book contains a lot of excellent content - the structure and presentation just need to be re-tooled for maximum effectiveness.

Dummy
The title of this book should read "The Autobiography of a Technical Writer." Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts' career, although auspicious indeed, is not what I was looking for in a manual. I became so exhausted reading her personal triumphs that I decided not to become a technical writer. The book contains nothing of substance, nor does it give any pertinent information on the realities of skills necessary (less "soft skills")for a junior writer to crack the program-specific job market.

Excellent Introductory Text
This book is the best introduction to technical writing I have seen. It utilizes all the skills it teaches, which makes it easy to read and understand. If you are taking a technical writing class at school or college, this is a great book to read before you begin. If you have a technical writing background, this may not be the best text for you, but it is always a good quick reference guide to have on your shelves. Definitely a worthwhile investment. ... Read more

Book Description

Strategies for Business and Technical Writing teaches effective writing for the world of work and helps readers become better writers using specific techniques employed by successful communicators in their fields. Topics include audience analysis, language use and misuse, writing and revision processes, the influence of technology on communication, résumés, letters, memos, e-mail, reports, and proposals. Business and technical writers, students aspiring to procure a career as a professional (business and technical) writer.

Customer Reviews (1)

An adequate reference, a good starter
I'm an instructor of Business Communication and this is the textbook we utilize for the class.I find that most of the articles in this book are good ones; however, there is a lot of repetition, especially when they are referring to the writing process.YAWN.Boring.How many ways can you reiterate "clear, precise, and to the point" as the main idea?

Otherwise, some of the other articles in there are great for those beginning in the world of business writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must read for the business writer!!!
Great examples of day to day documents. Easy to read and put to use. Thisis now a required reference book for all of our clerical staff. ... Read more

Book Description
Written by a practicing scientist, this book is directed to scientists, engineers, and others who want to improve their writing and communication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Handbook in the True Sense
I borrowed this book from the library, my choice out of the 48 tech writing books available, and I am delighted with it--so much so that I'm ordering my own copy. It covers everything I've been trying to teach myoffice-full of engineers and scientists, from how to say"nuclear," to when to hyphenate, to what to include in a table. IHIGHLY recommend it to all who want to sound technically competent and atthe same time "humanly" readable.

Matt Young's The Technical Writer's Handbook
Frankly, this book should be on every scientist's and engineer's shelf. It indicates with clarity and humor the common, stupid, things people do when they write. It's particularly good for developing a non-pompous and concise style. For example, Young tells us to use, instead of "at this pointin time," the word "now,"or instead of "utilize"just say "use." The book is full of examples and hits all thethings that drive me nuts reading other people's writing, particularly thewriting of students.

The downside is that it is organized alphabeticallyby words in commonly used bad phrases, so looking up a specific item isdarn near impossible. Still, Matt Young's book makes for fun and delightfulreading. ... Read more

Book Description
Developed for Technical Writing and Communication courses for juniors, seniors, and graduate students, Technical Writing and Professional Communication, 2/e, places technical writing in its context, showing students how to consider their purpose and their audience when writing reports, memos, and correspondence. Formerly titled Principles of Communication for Science and Technology, the new edition features a case running throughout seven chapters, dynamically illustrating the writing process. The revision also provides complete coverage of the new computer technologies and the new attention the intercultural concerns in today's business world. A companion edition developed for non-native speakers of English is also available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best technical writing book ever.
I've seen a lot of (technical) writing books and most of them are just crap.You don't need a 50-page chapter to teach you how to put citations in your paper.You don't need double spaced text as if you are an elementary school student.

But this book is different.It help you focus on your your article/report/book at any level you desire from the overall organization to the proper selection of words. It gives you sophisticated advice that is actually useful and time tested.

I am an engineer, and I have used this book when writing my masters and PhD theses and a number of paper.I have used it when I wrote a patent application.My wife is a social scientist and she uses it for writing her thesis.

I have been using this book for about 10 years now, and I assure you it will improve your writing at every level.This book should be number one seller in its category.

Excellent explanation
I bought this book by chance. But, I realized no other books cannot be compared with this book. other books say how I could rearrange the layout and order of my documents. This book teaches how I should write thesentences and paragraphs and the sections in scientific fields. This isvery useful for nonnative speakers of english especially! ... Read more

Book Description
With this new edition, Science and Technical Writing confirms its position as the definitive style resource for thousands of established and aspiring technical writers. Here are just a few comments from reviews of the first edition:
"If you are a technical or science writer or editor, you should own this book."
--AMWA Journal, American Medical Writers Association
"A must for all scientific and technical writers, editors, educators and students."
--American Library Book Review
"Authoritative, exhaustive and well-organized."
--Library Journal
Editor Philip Rubens has fully revised and updated his popular 1994 edition, with full, authoritative coverage of the techniques and technologies that have revolutionized electronic communications over the past eight years. His new Manual provides both professionals and would-be professionals with the latest style guidelines for the field - including information on the more complex issues facing the sci-tech writer:
Designing on-screen information
Working with linked and archived web sources
Selecting infographics
Writing Global English and using illustrations for non-native-speaking audiences
And much more
This is the most up-to-date guide to cover the entire range of scientific and technical writing in virtually every medium - an essential for writers, editors, publishers and anyone associated with the field! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

just view the excerpt
I encourage you to view the excerpt of this book; it will help you, more than any customer review, to see if this book is what you expect or imagine. In the excerpt, I found that chapter 2 starts with a bulleted list of items, without any introduction, any motivation, any explanation, nor comment, exactly like a table of contents. Next, using the same style (bulleted list or table of contents), "develops" each item of the bulleted list. I feel that this type of book would not give much help to write anything. To buy this book is like buying a power point presentation.

One of the four essential books for the technical writer
This is the best style guide for technical writing I have ever found.It gives more every day practical information than any of the other technical writing books and gives that information in a highly usable format.

My only complaint--my standard complaint about my reference books--is that the index is far less comprehensive than it ought to be.Given modern computer indexing capabilities, one would think authors and publishers could do a better job.

However, with this is one of the four essential books: 1. Strunk and White, Elements of Style, 2. Prentice Hall, Words Into Type, 3. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern American Usage (for the British tech writer, Fowler's Modern English Usage) and 4. Ruebens, Science and Technical Writing.With these four, atechnical writer can handle almost any situation that arises.There are other books covering special fields that can be added, but these four will always be the bedrock.

If you are a professional technical writer or only an occasional one, you can't go wrong having this book handy on your desktop.

Very useful
While Robert A. Day's How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper givesa good overview of the writing and publishing process on a macro levelregarding organization and presentation of material, Science and TechnicalWriting provides great detailed advice on a micro level. Philip Rubensgives very clear instruction on paragraphing, grammar, punctuation andspelling as well as the intricacies of how to present numbers, mathematicalsymbols and scientific notation. In addition, there are illustratedguidelines on how to design a variety documents such as brochures, manualsand newsletters right down to the page-level including representinginformation in charts, tables and diagrams.The book itself iswell-designed and well-organized giving testament to its own advice. Thisis a good general reference for both writers and editors of science andtechnical documentation. ... Read more

Book Description
This concise and cumulative guide shows readers the art of technical writing for a variety of contexts and institutions. Using examples from the business and non-corporate world, the book emphasizes transactional writing through practical explanations, real-world examples, and a variety of “role-playing” exercises. Each section builds on the next as readers learn a variety of models of style and format. This edition features a stronger emphasis on electronic communication, integrated coverage of ethics, and more explanation of how to create technical documents that produce concrete results. Begins with the basics of technical writing (from fundamental components of technical communication, to templates of presentation, to construction of letters, memos, announcements and instructions) and then focuses on using these skills to construct short and long reports and a job search portfolio. Goes beyond the large corporate view to survey challenges within a variety of settings–e.g., small businesses, social services, the academy, the corporation. Anyone looking to improve their techincal writing skills. ... Read more

Book Description
The Mayfield Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing offers the ideal combination of comprehensive coverage, accessibility, and convenience. It supplies grammatical and stylistic information, provides the key format elements of common technical documents along with illustrative examples, guides authors in the effective use of visual information, and helps writers revise and edit their own work as well as review that of others.

The Mayfield Electronic Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing, which is platform-independent and can interact with several applications at once, can be used alone or accompanied by the printed version. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A broad based handbook
This Handbook, both in its content and construction, is one of the most effective Technical Writing guides I've found.It is convenient to use, and each covered topic area is easily found.It is broadbased enough so that it generally is the only tech writing reference one needs at hand, and in itself is a fine example of what technical writing is all about.

Great Resource
This book is one of the best of its type that I have seen. A very handy reference for anyone doing documentation.

The best book I ever seen in this field.
It has been the best company as I have been writing my Master's thesis in the computer science field. Whenever I vacillate about how to write or present something in the proper way, I consult with this amazing manual.The ideal answer is "always" there. It is still expensive, butsurely I invested my money in the correct place. Thanks for all whoparticipated to introduce such a marvellous product. ... Read more

Book Description

Together these twenty-one articles on a wide range of today's most leading topics in science, from Dennis Overbye, Jonathan Weiner, and Richard Preston, among others, represent the full spectrum of scientific inquiry, proving once again that "good science writing is evidently plentiful" (American Scientist).

Customer Reviews (14)

Phenominal compilation
I was a bit skeptical getting a readers-digest type of a book.

However, this turned out to be a very impressive material.A compilation of best articles in science written in 2006, what could be better for a person who likes a good non-fiction read?

I think the editor did a fabulous job selecting a wide range of subjects.

I highly recommend this book and I myself am buying this series now yearly.

science book
This is a great series.Don't miss any of it.Back order old issues... it's worth it.

really good
This is the first edition of this series that I have read. It's pretty good, although, this is more science reporting than science writing. There is a difference, but the articles were well researched and interesting. And they cover a wide variety of topics. Not as good as the Best American Science and Nature Writing, but a great layman's source for the world of science.

Yay for science!
Delivers what it promises; engaging informative scientific papers from the year. Good read! These books get better every year

Good essays, on average
The overall result is positive, some essays not that good, some nice, and a few nicer. By the end, it is worth to go through them and discover one by one. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Better Writing
This book is a step-by-step instruction to different kinds of technical writing. It is easy to understand and follow. The topics are well organized and clearly outlined, which makes it easy to read.
It's a nice reference book if you have to look up different writing styles.

teacher ed. unexpected
i was supprised that it was the teachers edition but it will still be usefull thanks

This book is better than what some reviewers write!

This book is written well and is a useful tool to use when writing everything from a resume and cover letter to a complete proposal.It also give instructions on how to make a web page and scripting in html.Although I am sure that this material is very similiar to that of the previous editions, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to write better.

I wish that I had not read the previous bad reviews and ordered this book in hardcover instead of a used softcover.

Written by an expert in the marketing of textbooks!
John Lannon was a successful author of a college writing and composition textbook. He then created various spinoffs so that his publisher could cover more markets: business writing, technical writing, and so on (for both college and high school).

So he's really not a current specialist in technical writing, and he's not employed as a technical writer. He's just an English instructor who has been using essentially the same basic materials in all his books for decades.

This text is a perfect example. It has very little to do with today's field of technical communications. There are many other textbooks that have more specific and up-to-date examples and guidelines for contemporary technical writers. Any book by Hackos, for example, runs circles around this one.

In any case, he and his publisher don't need your single-copy sale. They sell thousands of these books for coursewide use at many schools across the country for use in very elementary courses. They don't care about individual users.

So save your money and buy something else!

What's new in this 9th Edtion?
The answer is nothing.This 9th edition is practically the same as 8th.This author must be the greediest man in the academic circle.Over half of the colleges in US use this book for technical writing, and he's still charging people almost $84 for it.Hasn't he made enough money with the 1st edition already? ... Read more