Product Description

The Writer's Best Friend and Bible!

Customer Reviews (14)

Positive review
Book very helpful.Recommended by my writing coach.Satisfied with delivery time & condition.

How I Got an Agent!
I got a fantastic, AAR-certified, New York City agent from this book.Without it, I'd have never known about her.She got me a book deal with my dream publisher, and I hope to be with her and my editor for the rest of my life.That's about the size of it!

Informative and useful
Jeff's book is one of the best available for authors seeking to be published. Not only it provides a useful, updated directory of agents and publishers, it also includes very relevant and practical advice on submissions, query letters and book proposals, especially the unsolicited kind.

Stefania Lucchetti
Author of "The Principle of RelevancE" The Principle of Relevance

The Frustrations of Marketing Writing
As a writer, who is compelled to write, and to attempt to publish, I ordered Jeff Herman's Guide.Thousands of possible contacts are listed along with a series of pep talk essays by writers and Herman: the Guide offers a plan of "How to Win Them Over! -Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents."I plunged into the book and then felt sucked in by the quicksand of hope.I am stalled;I am stuck and I am sinking. I must open up my Jeff Herman Guide and make a plan for contacting agents. As the Arizona Lottery slogan states:"You Can't Win if You Don't Play." I appreciate having access to the printed word, the pages of a book in this electronic age.

Buy it!
This book was a recommendation from author Sara Zarr. I can't believe how many amazing details are in there. Combine this book with A Guide to Literary Agents by Chuck Sambuchino, and you'll be ready to tackle the market. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

Fun little book

This is a nice little book for editors and writers alike. It accurately discusses many of the dynamics in that relationship, and offers good advice for dealing with them. Written in a very readable, enjoyable way.

It's like finding out your mother smokes!
Editors break rules. How liberating! Carol Fisher Saller's "Subversive Copy Editor" confirms what I learned as a scientist: The more you know about a subject, the less dogmatic your opinions. Rules can be broken; editors do make stupid mistakes. Saller brings great common sense and, yes, sharp business acumen to her profession. The book reminds you that if an author--consistently--has styled his 985 references in a totally nonstandard, but logical style, what's the point in undoing all the painstaking work? Having enjoyed this "Chicago Manual of Style" editor's online Q&A page for years, I loved reading more about the crazy questions she gets about editing (and sometimes other topics, like fashion, when someone mistook "The Chicago Manual of Style" for a fashion advice book) and the clearheaded, sometimes funny answer she gives. But beyond her approach to editing and her invaluable hints on how to stay organized as an editor, the book includes invaluable lessons in modern business etiquette: ways to work with difficult co-workers and authors, the importance of answering e-mail promptly, even if you don't know the answer; how to defer a decision; the importance of keeping the big picture (in this field, the big picture is the reader and book sales); rules of etiquette not only in your own e-mails but especially with how you handle others' messages; and so on. The book can be read from front to back, almost like a novel (well, I am an editor, so perhaps I found it especially compelling), and Saller's self-deprecatory humor had me laughing out loud. Editors, writers, students, and businesspeople who handle any sort of communications will enjoy this book.

A literary must-have
This thin, little volume will open the eyes of writers and editors alike with its simple and experiential approach to the practice of copy editing. The author shares anecdote after anecdote (her own as well as others') that demonstrate the nuance of judgment required to master the craft and build relationships with authors.

The book's structure is based on a working, day-to-day point of view; extremely practical and as much a have-at-hand reference as the encyclopedic Chicago manual. It addresses the fallibility of human nature and will appeal to readers at every level of experience. The Subversive Copy Editor should be required reading for anyone interested in becoming or living their life as an editor or writer. Buy two and give one to your most difficult client.

Stet
While written for the narrow orbit of copy editors and those who might desire such a career, this book deserves a wider readership.

Authors, language mavens, newsletter writers, corporate communicators, to those who simply want general good advice on handling co-worker business interactions at any type of office--all these and more would profit from Carol Fisher Saller's advice.

Practical, good humored, well written, and nicely proofed. (The jacket design by Isaac Tobin is nicely done, as well.)

A Copy Editor Wannabe Who Became An Author
When I stumbled across this book, I just had to read it. Many years ago, as a college English major with a concentration in creative writing, I graduated wanting to go into the publishing field. On job interviews I was told I was perfect for the job except that my typing speed was terrible, and to come back when it was better. My typing speed is just a little better, still hunt-and-peck but it was never good enough to go back, so I never gotthe job I wanted in the publishing field. I entered the mental health field instead but I have gotten to know the publishing field as an author. I hada book published nine years ago, and a second one that is looking for a publisher. Through my experience with book #1 (When the Body Is the Target: Self-Harm, Pain, and Traumatic Attachments), and several journal papers, I certainly can empathise withthe writer who does not want to change a word or comma. Although that was never me, when my publisher edited out four entire chapters of a very large book, it hurt. It felt like giving birth to four babies and then having to give them away. It was not copy editing but nonetheless I know what it is to become very attached to ones own words. I read first and appreciated most the chapter on the difficult writer and the one meant for the writer. Now I know more about the world of the editor even though I never got to know it the way I wanted to when I graduated from college. This is a most valuable book for copy editors and writers alike, and I am grateful to Carol for writing it. ... Read more

Product Description

For use with all versions of Linux, including Ubuntu,™ Fedora,™ openSUSE,™ Red Hat,® Debian, Mandriva, Mint, and now OS X, too!

Customer Reviews (56)

Good intermediate book on Linux
This is an excellent material for those who are already somewhat familiar with Linux/Unix and want to take their knowledge to the next level. This is especially wonderful book for programmers (C and Java for Linux), perl, and shell script writers.

If you want a detailed understanding of how Linux operates, however, this book falls short. For example, the book hardly covers Linux networking and security (linux groups in particular). It also provides only very rudimentry coverage of error logging and location of key system information in the /etc folder. Master Linux you will not after reading this book.

Already having intermediate knowledge of Linux, I can't say I have learned a whole lot from this book.

The quality of writing is good and the explanations are well thought-out. The author also painstakingly organized some of the most widely used Linux commands in both glossary and reference format.

If you want more advanced understanding of managing a linux server and its capabilities, then I would recommend a more advanced book. If you are a developer with little to no Linux/Unix background and want to develope applications in Linux/Unix servers, then this is a very good place to start.

Practical, authoritative, readable and educative
Excellent book that will take your linux skills to the next level. Command line is where Linux shines and if you need to know what's under the hood, read this book, either cover to cover or just by chapters that interest you.
You'll hear many Linux enthusiasts gladly pointing to free online resources for learning Linux and although there are many, those resources are of varying quality and always fail to go into a deeper discussion accompanied by examples, end up pawing man pages or worse are just echo of somebody else's attempt at writing a Linux walkthrough.
This book is primarily practical. Although the opening chapter may seem unnecessary, dealing with history of GNU and Linux, chapters that follow dive deeper and deeper to show you just what is it that makes Linux shell so great.
The language in which this book is written makes it an authoritative source. If you ever caught yourself reading the man pages of any Linux utility, you noticed how incredibly terse and hard to understand the language of the man pages can be. The language of this book is just a notch down from the man pages language, it isn't hard on you but it will require your attention all the time as there's very little to none "filler material" and unnecessary repetition.
This is not to say that this material is dry and unreadable. The material is not only compiled information on utilities and their roles but author also shows his points in practice and makes you learn not only on how- to's but by contrast as well. I caught myself reading 30 pages at once when I noticed this book on the shelves of the bookstore, just by browsing through the pages.
Educative- if you set out to learn as many available commands with their most commonly used handles, the appendices of this book will greatly help you achieve just that since those appendices contain an impressive compilation of commands, their handles and (what most impressed me) what those handles do through examples. No other book or online guide that I've seen so far does that for its reader. Commands discussed aren't only the most popular ones, or the recommended ones for different levels, inside are explanations for commands that are used by more advanced users but explained on a very plain level and through non- trivial examples. That is way past the "hello world" level of online guides.
Although you'll probably be mostly interested in the Bash shell part, author discusses other available shells with the more advanced audience in mind (like tcsh and zsh) keeping the same level and depth of discussion, and where necessary, points out how things are done or which equivalent utilities are used in those shells as well as in Bash.
What isn't covered here is Linux networking. Everything that is explained pertains to working at an individual Linux workstation. It is assumed that you have an access to a completely configured and successful Linux installation that has all hardware and installation issues resolved. In this day and age, you'd probably want to do a virtual installation of Linux in a virtual machine thereby eliminating possible conflict due to non- compliant hardware.
This book helped me a lot while preparing for the Linux Professional Institute Certification level 1, especially for the first of the two exams (LPIC 101) that required exact knowledge of commands and their usage on individual workstations. I successfully passed that exam and those appendices with commands as well as explanations provided throughout the book proved invaluable at exam time.

Major Kudos
Mr. Sobell has written another beautiful book on Linux!I first read his "A Practial Guide to the Unix System" and loved it."A Practical Guide to Linux(2E)" is also masterfully written.I come from a strong Windows/Sys Admin background.Recently, my company asked me to support Unix/Linux too.I found most books dificult to grasp and hard to read.Mr. Sobell's clear and deep understanding of Unix/Linux shines through in his book.It's a joy to read a Linux book and actually understand what's being said.I can't thank Mr. Sobell enough for writing it and helping me to have a deep understanding of Linux.

Beyond frustrating
I really wanted to like this book as I am now a regular linux desktop user and want to learn shell/perl scripting. Unfortunately this book has been a tremendous letdown. The presentation of topicsand the code examples do not build on one another and the ordering too often seems haphazard.

Readability of code samples is hindered by not numbering lines of code. It's a lot easier to read when the text says "Line 24 specifies the variable...." instead of trying to find the line referenced by "The third say statement specifies the variable....".

Most damning in my mind is the repeated sin of referencing material not yet covered in examples. So when I am reading page 200 there is no reason to throw out a code sample with material that won't be covered until page 450. This book is replete with examples like this! It's as if they had a general idea of the topics they wanted to cover, they wrote the text and code samples for each topic and only then decided on the order in which to present the information. I'm sorry to report that learning from this book is far more frustrating than it should be.

If only one advanced Linux command reference were to be chosen, this is among the top contenders
A Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors and Shell Programming appears in its second updated edition to provide a tutorial to the latest Linux commands and references. It's the only book to offer a primer on Perl for all system administrators, in-depth coverage of basic and advanced Linux shell programming, and tips and tricks for customizing the shell. If only one advanced Linux command reference were to be chosen, this is among the top contenders for the job.
... Read more

Product Description
This book provides instruction on how to use the OrCAD design suite to design and manufacture printed circuit boards.The primary goal is to show the reader how to design a PCB using OrCAD Capture and OrCAD Editor. Capture is used to build the schematic diagram of the circuit, and Editor is used to design the circuit board so that it can be manufactured.

The book is written for both students and practicing engineers who need in-depth instruction on how to use the software, and who need background knowledge of the PCB design process.


KEY FEATURES:
* Beginning to end coverage of the printed circuit board design process. Information is presented in the exact order a circuit and PCB are designed
* Over 400 full color illustrations, including extensive use of screen shots from the software, allow readers to learn features of the product in the most realistic manner possible
* Straightforward, realistic examples present the how and why the designs work, providing a comprehensive toolset for understanding the OrCAD software
* Introduces and follows IEEE, IPC, and JEDEC industry standards for PCB design.
* Unique chapter on Design for Manufacture covers padstack and footprint design, and component placement, for the design of manufacturable PCB's.
*FREE CD containing the OrCAD demo version and design files

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

It is good book.
It is good book however it has too much information to cover therefore I found this a little hard to follow their examples because of vague instructions . It is not a book for beginner.

Superb Reference
After just completing a 1000-part, 8-layer PCB design, I can tell you that this text will pay for itself in saved hours the first time you crack it open.If you use OrCAD Capture and/or PCB Editor, quit reading this review and add the book to your cart!

Great Book but OrCAD is price of new car
As a tech writer for over 44 years, I rate this book with very high marks for presentation, content, and authorship.

I bought it thinking that Linux is pretty much a free OS and that I would buy the OrCAD software suite when I got around to it.

So, I designed several SMT prototypes and finally got around to designing the PCBs.

This is when I visited the EMA Design Automation, Inc. website and my jaw dropped through the black hole in our galaxy.

The entire OrCAD suite pushes total costs to about $20,000, the price of a new car.

If you are developing SMT protoypes, there are plenty of free PCB design tools offered by companies who want your PCB business (very cost-effective PCBs can be had for $20).

The only down side is, if you are not running Windows XP, Windows Vista/Windows 7 may not be compatible.

This is why I wanted a Linux/Ubuntu OS and NOT the Hollywood Windows Fx versions.

Good luck.

Very close to perfection
Let's be honest here: Mr. Mitzner also wrote a book called: "Complete PCB Design Using OrCad Capture and Layout". For all practical purposes, "Complete PCB Design Using OrCAD Capture and PCB Editor" is revision 2 of the first book. However, there is nothing wrong with that.

I wrote a somewhat critical review of the first book, but I still gave it 4 stars. It seems that Mr. Mitzner has read the reviews (maybe even mine) and has addressed many critical points.

In the interest of disclosure: I did not buy this book from Amazon but I bought the eBook direct from the publisher. Unfortunately, the format is not the usual Adobe eBook but some other weird thing called: VitalSource Bookshelf. I never heard of this before. The viewer has some nice features (like shared highlights) but I don't really want yet another eReader. Sorry, That is a small minus there for me.

Moving on... It is good to see heavy emphasis on the new tools. Specifically PCB Editor. I use PCB editor and let me tell you this is a serious piece of software. The author really tries to show the user how to use this powerful tool.

Also nice is the more detailed autorouter (SPECCTRA) discussion. As far as SPECCTRA is concerned, Mr. Mitzner would probably do well with a book on that alone.
Anyway, SPECCTRA is a serious autorouter and big projects need the features it provides.

Anyone who looks down on autorouters, obviously never had to layout more than 10 chips. Yeah people, this is 2009. We use autorouters now. I'm so tired of so called "hard core" thick skulls who must layout everything by hand. All that means is they are not smart enough to use Constraint Manager and SPECCTRA in standalone mode.

BTW, how's that 400 part BGA motherboard design going? Yeah, I thought so...

Mr. Mitzner, please, please expand your discussion of SPECCTRA in the future. Thanks in advance!

The first book had a very nice discussion and explanation about ground planes, frequency response, trace impedance etc. This has been nicely duplicated (and expanded) here.

We also get a very detailed discussion on padstack/footprint design. Nice Job!

I love the design examples! They really show the soup to nuts procedure. Very nice job!

So, in conclusion, I'd like to say that this is a very good book. Mr. Mitzner is (obviously) listening to his readers and he is doing a great job.

Mr. Mitzner, (if you're still listening) we need more, more, more. We need a complete SPECCTRA. We need examples with the advanced tools, features and techniques. We need examples of PCB Editor scripting (this is a BIG deal).

And can we please have the book in Adobe eBook format?

BTW, can someone check the companion URL for the book? As of today: July 10, 2009, the example projects have not yet been posted.

As I promised, in my first review, I would be willing to pay for this information. I kept my promise by buying this second book. I am eagerly awaiting what's is next.

Editorial Review Correction
The Editorial Reviews states this book "...does NOT cover OrCAD PCB Editor which is completely different from OrCAD Layout," despite the title saying this covers just that.

Hey, that must have been a leftover the review of Mitzner's last book. It does indeed cover PCB Editor, exactly as the title states.

OK, now I have had a couple of weeks working with this book on a couple of designs. It is an incredibly detailed, thorough and simple to follow tutorial to running two very complex and non-intuitive programs (Capture & Editor). The book has taught me how to do things I did not guess were there (such as using spreadsheets to create part symbols). Several show-stopping problems (such as artwork creation) that Editor handles in it's non-intuitive-and-we-ain't-gonna-tell-you-how way are described completely so they become second nature.

I have recommended to my manager we get additional copies of this book to serve as the standard instruction manual for using our software. (We have to get additional copies cause this one is MINE.)
... Read more

Product Description
An indispensable guide for editors, would-be editors, and especially writers who want to understand the publishing process. In this classic handbook, top professionals write about the special demands and skills necessary for particular areas of expertise--mass market, romance, special markets, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Still highly relevant for next generation editors and writers
This is a fabulous book for editors and writers. I decided to read this book because I simply want to be an exceptional editor and I want to help the writers I work with be exceptional writers. This book has opened up my mind to a vast world of publishing and how it all relates to me right here, in this niche, in this city, in this company. With its strong historical perspective and how it fits in and defines the ever-changing book industry, this book is timeless. I admit that I may live in an editorial bubble and never learned anything like this in college as an English major, but it is so wonderful to see what I do with passion every day described with such deliberate and caring intricacy as what was compiled here in this work. The essays by the industry's top editors and agents are impressive. I consider this a must read for serious literary professionals.

Great for those interested in publishing
"Editors on Editing" contains very helpful - and often funny - essays from top Publishing industry people.It is a great read for anyone interested in jumping into the Publishing world.Essays about proofreading, copyediting, acquiring books, and writing editorial critiques are just some of the things this book has to offer.

The Subtitle Says It All
The subtitle says it all; this book contains everything a writer needs to know about editing and what editors do.

Compilation of Info
Find out what editors do, what they're looking for. It's good, comprehensive. Check out the table of contents and see if it will help you.

Editor's Tell it Their Way
If you are going into editing as a profession, it's a good idea to get information from people who have been around the profession for a while. The editors represented in this book are honest--editing is not all champaigne and caviar lunches with the most famous authors in the land. Editing is a job filled with politics, long hours, and sometimes very frustrating unknown authors.

What is most unfortunate about this book is that it is out of date. The last edition was created in 1995. At that point in time the publishing community was in turmoil. Many of the older publishing houses were being devoured by corporated entities that were more focused on making money than making intelligent literature. The overall sense given by the book is that the publishing field is doomed, and that true editing was being replaced by marketing strategies.

Much of this changed as the Internet took hold. Smaller publishers suddenly became important again, and the rise of on-demand publishing changed the entire publishing atmosphere. It would be nice to see a new edition featuring editors from this new wave of publishing. Still, as a historical reference to what was happening fifteen to twenty years ago in the field, it is a pretty good read. ... Read more

Product Description
From one of America's most beloved and bestselling authors, a wonderfully useful and readable guide to the problems of the English language most commonly encountered by editors and writers.

What is the difference between “immanent” and “imminent”? What is the singular form of graffiti? What is the difference between “acute” and “chronic”? What is the former name of “Moldova”? What is the difference between a cardinal number and an ordinal number? One of the English language's most skilled writers answers these and many other questions and guides us all toward precise, mistake-free usage. Covering spelling, capitalization, plurals, hyphens, abbreviations, and foreign names and phrases, Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors will be an indispensable companion for all who care enough about our language not to maul, misuse, or contort it.

This dictionary is an essential guide to the wonderfully disordered thing that is the English language. As Bill Bryson notes, it will provide you with “the answers to all those points of written usage that you kind of know or ought to know but can’t quite remember.” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

better done in other books
This book added nothing to my personal writing library.It just weakly covered some nooks and crannies better covered in other refernce works.I rate this an "N" for not worth the price or the time.

Do not waste your money
No idea why this was even published except that anything with Mr. Bryson's name will sell.Simply useless.

NEAT LITTLE BOOK IF YOU DON'T EXPECT WONDERS
This is one of those little works that may or may not appeal to the average reader, and may or may not live up to the expectations of its title.I have a very large shelf of reference books, dictionaries, and the like setting above my desk.I also have my computer in front of me (obviously, as I am using it now).A small 300 plus page book is in no way going to replace these books or my temperamental machine, or even come close.When I purchase this little volume, I did not have the unrealistic expectations that in was the beginning and end of all reference books.Rather, I enjoy Bryson's writing.I enjoy trivia.I enjoy having little books around that I can pick up, read a few lines and enjoy them and learn something to boot.This work fulfilled my personal needs quite well. I seldom take anything Bryson writes all that serious, but I personally think he is funny and I do enjoy his quirky, curious mind.

This, according to the author's statement is a persona list of words, names, places, etc. that he has encountered over the years.It addresses the usage of these words; it gives a brief one line description of places, people and things.It also, as the author points out, addresses words that are sort of at the edge of your mind, i.e. you know of them, sort of, you know of their usage, sort of, but you are not quite sure.As an example, and this pertains to just me, Bryson tells us the difference between "douse" and "dowse."Now I know these two words, but to be frank, was not real sure of the difference when I really stopped to think of it.This book quickly explains it in just twelve words.Neat!I have always, for some reason had problems with the usage of "its" verses "it's."(I know, I am an illiterate clod, no use in pointing it out).Bryson explains their usage in a quick, pain free, three lines. This is sure nicer than digging through The Little, Brown Handbook, and trying to figure out what in the world they are talking about.

If you spend your hard earned money on a short work such as this and expect to receive an all inclusive reference book, then you probably deserve to be parted from your cash.If you buy this simply for the entertainment value, then you will probably get your monies worth.

Bryson's Dictionary For Writers and Editors
BRYSON'S DICTIONARY FOR WRITERS AND EDITORS BY BILL BRYSON: Bestselling author Bill Bryson has already amassed quite a career for himself with successful travel writing books like A Walk in the Woods and In a Sunburned Country, as well as books on literature and language like The Mother Tongue and Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words, and even attempting to present a concise history of science with A Short History of Nearly Everything; Bryson now returns with Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors.

He admits in his preface that it is a personal collection, "built over thirty years as a writer and editor in two countries," and that some of the obscure references and definitions may not be useful to many, like the name of the Sydney district Woolloomooloo, or that the residence of the Danish Royal Family in Copenhagen is the Amalienborg Palace. Nevertheless, Bryson addresses many of the common issues that make a writer hesitate - amoral or immoral? Effect or affect?. He dispenses with the dictionary's phonetic alphabet, instead providing pronunciation help where necessary; as well as cross indexing so that in the example mentioned above, the entry can be found filed under both amoral and immoral for the writer's and editor's ease.

Bryson's Dictionary is filled with innumerable references and spellings for authors, book titles, series, philosophers, scientists . . . you name it, making them even easier to find than looking up on the Internet. Bryson also includes appendices of punctuation and its definitions, words ending in -able and -ible, a list of the world's airports and their codes, the different currencies of the world, conversion tables, and an extensive glossary on grammar.

Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors is the ideal book for most people who do any sort of reading and writing, whether it is the freshman heading off for college for the first time, the freelance writer looking to get published, or the retired crossword addict looking for exact spelling at their fingertips.

[...]

Bryson rides again!
This book is FUN and so helpful.Keep it by my bed and read a few pages before falling asleep.I keep learning more wonderful and unique facts about language, about life, about so many things.Try it.You'll love it!

May D ... Read more

Product Description
The vi Editor Pocket Reference is a companion volume to O'Reilly'supdated sixth edition of Learning the vi Editor, a complete guide to text editing with vi. New topics in Learning the vi Editor include multi-screen editing and coverage of four vi clones:vim, elvis, nvi, and vile.This small book is a handy reference guide to the information in thelarger volume, presenting movement and editing commands, the command-lineoptions, and other elements of the vi editor in an easy-to-usetabular format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Small Book, Big Help
I use this book as a reference all too often.The authors do a good job at laying this book out, and the secrets of vi are all released in this book.I recommend this book mainly because of it's size.It's small enough to keep on the corner of your desk to reference when you need it.

Necessary?Maybe.
If you use the vi editor often, you won't need this book.If, however, you're like me and use it once in a while to make changes in Linux system files, it can come in handy when you can't remember a command or two.

Also, the cover is darn cute! :-)

So basically this is a quick reference to the vi editor, with additional chapters covering all the other text-based editors that are based on vi (like vim, for instance).

Not a useful reference, pocket or otherwise
This book has a major deficiency as a reference: you can't easily find a specific topic. The book has no index and the table of contents is too high-level to help you find a particular topic (for example, "vi Commands" as a table of contents entry isn't really going to help you locate a particular command).

The level of detail that is presented varies widely throughout the book. For example, Chapter 4 gives multi-sentence descriptions of the substitute command and regular expressions. Chapter 1 lists each command line option with a brief one-sentence description. Chapter 7 lists the vi options with no descriptions (the name of the option is often not self-explanatory--what does "magic" or "beautify" do?). If something is worth listing in this book, at least give it a brief description.

A quibble is with the four chapters on vi clones. It would have been nice if the author briefly described each of the clones and pointed out their strengths and weaknesses. These four chapters occupy over half of the book, so adding an extra overview paragraph to each chapter would not have significantly added to the bulk of the book.

On the positive side, I found the lists of command line options and vi commands useful.

Instead of buying this book, I would recommend searching for the various vi quick reference guides available on the Web for free. Some might argue that I'm expecting too much from a "pocket reference" and that it is intended for experienced users. My view is that the book could have been so much more useful. As it is, I do not feel the cost of the book is justified by its content.

Vi - your answers
Great Vi book for Unix Beginners. It gives great examples to use the command being inquired.

Commandline editor guide
This is a handy little book to have around if you use the "vi" text editor and haven't mastered all the commands. Or if you use a different text editor regularly, but find yourself in a place that has only vi. I have about 5 of the O'Reilly Pocket reference books and find them handy reminders for languages, etc. This book is not intended to "teach" a person how to use vi. It is what it says, a "reference" to jog your memory or possibly find how to cut and paste text or one of the numerous functions systems folks wind up doing at times. I do prefer a different editor but vi is ubiquitous. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
The book presents a much needed approach to quality technical communication and a working plan for achieving quality. The examples are excellent and are easy to use and adapt. The editorial advice is simple and clear enough for tech writers who did not major in English or journalism. It is most worthy of a text in university programs, but it is more valuable to experienced writers, editors and managers concerned with raising the quality of their publications. The main difference between this and other books is that in each of the first nine chapters, one quality characteristic is presented that you can apply to your writing project to make technical information easy to use, easy to understand and easy to find. There are checklists at the end of each chapter for review and a Quality checklist in the appendix covering all of the characteristics. The book shows original text and revision text so that you can actually browse the book and see the differences applied. This is another excellent feature that should catch a purchaser's eye. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

The right way to create Technical Documents.
THis book is excellent if you are someone who creates Technical Documents for a living.It is straight to the point, without the trendy psycho-babel that a lot of new books try to persuade you to use.Let's face it you cannot trick people into learning highly technical subjects.This book shows you how to take complex subjects and put them in an orderly fashion so that learning occurs as it should.

As someone who has been developing technical documents for many years I found this book to the type of "bible" that you can use for years to come. If you buy only one book this should be it.

best hands-on reference for writing product documentation
This is an essential book if you find yourself writing product documentation and do not have the luxury of an editorial staff or company style guide to tell you right from wrong.It's simple and easy to read, and just tells you what you need to know, nothing more or less.You can go through the whole thing cover to cover in about 12 hours, and then you'll have a pretty good sense of how you should be structuring information.I find the examples useful (if somewhat contrived), and I agree with the book's advice in almost all cases.(I'm a professional tech writer, and I *did* have the luxury of an editor for several years! Regrettably, no more.)

Whether the book "enshrines mediocre technical writing," as someone mentioned, is debatable.The goal of product documentation is simple:Answer the user's question as fast as possible, and get the user productive as fast as possible. There's certainly a place for creativity, but one can't lose sight of the goals, and I think the book's merit is that it focuses persistently on those goals: How do you, the writer, best serve the user's interests?

It's also important to have a guide like this because if you work in a small company, other folks are going to have strong ideas about how the documentation should look.They will want to constantly be inserting feel-good "marketing" messages into the documentation, reminding customers of how wise they were for buying the product.They will have strong opinions about what "concepts" should be stressed over and over.As a writer, you represent the user's interests, and you have to be able to stand up and say "that doesn't work to the user's advantage, and we shouldn't do it like that."If you have a reference to back you up on these points, you'll be much more comfortable taking a strong stand in favor of Usability.And, in the end, that is exactly what any documentation specialist should be standing for.(Yes, I did end on a preposition.)

Excellent text
I purchased this text because I am trying to redirect my career.I have a lot of marketing and public relations in my background, but technical writing is a new area.I found the text easy to read, very informative, and exceptionally helpful.The only reason I gave it four instead of five stars is that it is weighted for web writers.Writing for the web is not a function of the job I am interviewing for, so that information, while interesting, was not particularly helpful for me.

Enshrines mechanics of mediocre technical writing
This book is a mixed bag at best, advocating practices that help keep today's technical writing mired in mediocrity.For example: always use the 2nd person; and for heaven's sake don't try to explain anything to people, just tell them what to do! Much of this reads like tips for helping non-writers get by as technical writers, and for making technical writing into a kind of non-writing.

For devotees of the Jackson Pollock school of tech writing (throw lots of vetted statements at the page till they stick) or of the everything-is-a-numbered-list technique, there's probably much that's heartening in this glossy example of bad desktop publishing.(Jeesh, who decreed that tech writers can't learn typography and basic functional layout, or maybe hire someone that does?)

This book is probably ok for anyone writing product assembly manuals, or documenting GUI interfaces (press this, select that... yup second person actually works pretty well there).But for software? Or for anyone struggling to articulate complex ideas or just write a reasonably compact and self-contained conceptual overview (MIA from most tech writing today), there isn't much help here. Maybe it's time we technical writers focused more on good writing per se, on the things that good technical writing shares with effective prose (clarity, precision, range of useful styles, fiction (point of view) or even poetry (compression, effective use of embedded metaphor).

So, yeah, it turns out there're so many other rich directions and ideas for tech writers to pursue.For starters, there're the old standbys: Strunk and White or Wm Zinsser's Writing Well.And any of the wonderful books on prose style by Richard Lanham or perhaps Mark Turner's Clear and Simple as the Truth (which, suprisingly enough, addresses technical writing directly, albeit briefly, offering a number of classical examples).Also just about any of Edward Tufte's books, and by the way, did you catch his 2004 interview in Technical Communications Quarterly? Posted (free) on ET's website.I think it even mentions a time when he consulted with IBM about their tech writing and tried to get them to stop using the second person, and, well...

Best Book I've Found on the Subject!
I've been developing retail software professionally for over 15 years and have been waiting for a book like this one. When I finally discovered the book, I was a little skeptic -- that is until I received the book.

If you are writing help, or any other technical documentation, this *is* the book for you. Coverage of the subject is just right. It's not too overloaded and it's not to light on the subject either.

The only thing missing that I wish they had was recommended templates for different types of documentation. If this book had a CD with samples, it would be worth 2 or 3 times the amount I paid for it.

I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (21)

Adrien He Ain't
I hate to write a lousy review, because I'm a really big fan of Josh Lanyon.However, if Christopher Holmes and JX Moriarty are meant to replace Adrien English and Jake Riordan, I don't think I'll be going along for the ride.Somehow I could always buy the idea that Adrien would end up with the incredibly hot cop, but since all descriptions of Christopher are of a middle-aged, balding, overweight, out-of-shape zhlub (who whines a lot!), it's a stretch to think the incredibly hot cop in this story (or will it be a series?) only has eyes for him.The cut-off-from-all-technology-and-civilization setting of this plot is also way too thin.Sorry, I just didn't think this one was very good.If you haven't yet, do yourself a favor and read all the Adrien English books instead.

Somebody Killed His Editor
Gay author and murder mystery novel.Very entertaining, easy to read, witty, and has a good plot...he keeps you guessing at who-dun-it!I recommend this author and book.

4.5 stars really.Love Josh Lanyon and this one hits the spot.
I don't know if I love this as much as I love Adrien English,but this is a charming,kind of gay Agatha Christie book.Christopher Holmes made a career as murder mystery writer who created an elderly English spinster who with the help of her cat (Mr Tompkins) solves mysteries.But now,not entirely surprisingly,his readership is dwindling,and his agent insists he comes out to some awful writers convention and meet with the shark-like new publishing editor and convince him of his new direction.But Christopher doesn't want to change directions,and things get worse when en route to the isolated place he bumps first into a corpse and then into J X Moriarty,an old flame that burnt badly...

I read this on the plane,that's how confident I am about Josh Lanyon,he's a sure bet for me.And it was funny and engaging and sexy,and I was happy to be with all the characters, but it's not especially deep or passionate.More of a romp than the Adrien English books were and I guess I miss their intensity though I will certainly buy the next book in this series.

Fun mystery
I love a book with humor in it . This was a treat to read . I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery . Can't wait till the next book in the series .

delightful and astutely funny
This is the only Josh Lanyon book I have read, but hopefully I will find his wit and charm in his other works.
I am somewhat in awe of Mr. Lanyon. He manages to express himself through a character creating a layered presentation that is flexible and expressive. I laughed out loud. His first person observations and increasing
depth of focus on his problems framed in the world of a writers workshop create the story of writer Holmes.
A self exploratory novel for the first person reader AND a mystery AND a love interest.

Its a little like 'Romancing the Stone' the protagonist's shell burns to the ground and and the same person
emerges pulling themselves up to meet situations they are only prepared for by imagination and wit. I found
myself wondering if he actually had an evil editor, the dialog of a pompous acquisitor was so clearly defined
in so few words.

If I had any criticisms it would be that I wish it were longer and the romance were more fully developed, and little more gritty. The denouement paced well for me. Loved it for a first read.


... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent book
This book is great! I thought I was well on my way to being a vim master, but I only know enough to fill a couple chapters in this book! Tons of information, goes into great detail with clear examples. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn vim, or anyone who already does and wants a printed reference/manual.

I didn't even know how much I loved this tool
Other people have done a good job of reviewing the technical merits.

I just want to say, as a rookie, how much I appreciated the "assume nothing" approach.

I'm a solid C++ programmer (and a couple others), but I've often found Linux tools to be baffling, I've been a Windows guy for years.

I also am for some reason charmed by the fact that VI is represented by a lemur.I don't know why, but I think that's apt.VI is a lemur, after all, right?

Good Book
I found the book "Learning the vi and Vim Editors" to be a very thorough book in covering the foundations of these complex tools. Already being a pretty avid Vim user, I picked up this book as a reference to fill in any holes in my knowledge and to brush up on various configuration options for improving my Vim environment. I found the book to be exceptionally useful in terms of helping me configure my environment. I learned many different options from it that I wouldn't have known existed and it helped me improve my environment in ways I wouldn't have first thought of. The book itself did not help fill in many holes in my knowledge, though, because it tends to be primarily a book aimed at introducing the user to these editors. I think the issue that is the primary cause of this is that these two editors have enough features that it's difficult for anyone to know them all and to cover them effectively in one text while being aimed at beginners as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone just beginning to use vi or Vim and wanting to really hone their skills with these editors.

Best vi Reference Around
'Learning the vi and Vim Editors' is the ultimate reference for using 'vi' out there on the market.Now in its 7th (yes SEVENTH) edition, this book has been around for 22 years and there is a reason.450+ pages are spread over XX chapters:

01. Basics
02. Simpled Editing
03. Movement
04. Beyond the Basics
05. ex Editor
06. Global Replacement
07. Advanced Editing
08. vi Clones
09. Vim
10. Vim Improvements Over vi
11. Multiple Windows In Vim
12. Vim Scripts
13. Graphical Vim
14. Vim Enhancements
15. Other Cool Vim Stuff
16. nvi
17. Elvis
18. vile

If you are a Linux user or need vi on a daily basis you owe it to yourself to pick up this great book.It's a definitive resource and well worth the time and money.

***** RECOMMENDED

Best Vi/Vim Book on the Market
This new edition goes above and beyond of what's currently available in the area of Vi/Vim tutorials.

It is fascinating to watch how much time and typing a programmer can save every single day, once they've figured out how to use a tool like Vim efficiently. Many people just know 5% of what an editor is capable of, and day-in and day-out they're using way too many keystrokes. What a waste of time and what a strain on your hands!

"vi and vim" 7th edition (make sure to get the latest, not the previous one) explains how to make the most out of this editor. By the way, you should always use "vim", not the legacy "vi" editor, which is a waste of time as it lacks important features. Luckily "vim" is standard on many systems like Linux nowadays, and even if you type "vi" there, you'll get the better "vim" automatically.

Learning shortcuts for common editing tasks like block indentation, text formatting, or screen movement is essential for fast typing, and the challenge is to keep the shortcuts all memorized. Vim isn't your father's editor, it has literally thousands of keystroke combinations, and if you don't have a system to memorize them, you'll never use them. Luckily, "vi and vim" 7th edition explains them all in detail and in a way that makes it easier to recall them later when you need them.

The book gives mnemonics whenever possible and it explains concepts like vim's combination of action and move commands in a way that lets you understand the concept behind these commands instead of simply having to memorize nonsensical keystrokes.

There's some chapters which I consider fluff, but I guess there is people out there using odd vi incarnations like "elvis" or "gvim", so the authors felt like they were worth to be covered as well.

It would be great if the chapter on programming vim with its own scripting language (and possibly other languages like Perl) could be expanded and information on how to define complicated macros or write your own plugins would also be helpful. But I guess that's too much for a "Learning the vi and vim editors" book and maybe there's an upcoming "Mastering" book, who knows?

This book is a must-read for every programmer using the 'vi' line of editors. There's two other vim books out there, but they don't come even close in terms of depth and content structuring. Five stars for the 7th edition!
... Read more

Product Description
Updated for Final Cut Pro 7, this unique book uses Avid images and terminology to create a comprehensive 'translation course' for video and film editors who already know their way around Avid nonlinear systems. Best-selling author and editor Diana Weynand takes readers through detailed feature comparisons, practical conversion tips, and instructions on how to use Final Cut Pro features that aren't available in Media Composer. Each chapter represents a complete lesson in some aspect of Final Cut Pro 7 and includes a review section and list of keyboard shortcuts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A REAL NOTHING REVIEW
It appears that I am FORCED to give this product a star EVEN THOUGH I never received this book I ordered from Amazon last May. Over the summer I received emails telling me it would be shipped when it was available and then, finally, at the end of the summer, one telling me that Amazon would not be able to fill the order.

A third party supplier was recommended. I ordered Final "Cut Pro for Avid Editors" from that company and received a shipping confirmation the next day - and then a cancellation email the next day.

It seems that this Avid Editor is not going to learn Final Cut soon.

FCP for AVID Editors
I haven't used the manual enough to fairly gauge how useful it is, however, it was recommended so I bought it. However, I believe the tips I've found online via Google to be more comprehensive than this manual.

Highly recommended for any film pro involved in training and applications
Part of the Apple-certified training series, Final Cut Pro for Avid Editors is for film editors and professional video editors who already use Avid, but who want to move these skills to Final Cut Pro as quickly as possible. Chapters blend feature comparisons and conversion tips with charts, lesson goals and plans, chapter reviews, and more, making this an excellent guide for either classroom or self-study. It's a self-paced learning handbook highly recommended for any film pro involved in training and applications.

Avid to FCP Editors, Arm Yoruself With This Book
This book helps ease the monumental transition from Avid to FCP.It is definitely a must for anyone going through the change, but becomes less useful once you get the hang of FCP.Once you are through the transtion, then get the book Final Cut Pro 5 for Mac, which answers the rest.

This book I could only find used, it is not easy to come by...

Up and running on FCP in a week
If you are ever forced to quickly learn Final Cut pro for the odd job where Avid is not a viable option, or you want to start editing your on stuff on the cheap, buy this, read it and practise it for a week and you will be a Pro at Pro, knowing everything there is to know, at least, where to find it and whether it is doable or not. It is a book written by an Avid editor for Avid editors who have to go through the same learning curve. You can be very surprised going through it on how similar the two editing systems are and most of all, how quickly you can synthesise the information and make it second nature. I fervently recommend this book being so well written, going always to the point and covering everything properly. ... Read more

Product Description
The National Book Award winner from the #1 New York Times bestselling author is now in Berkley trade for the first time—and celebrating its 30th anniversary.

The talents he nurtured became worldwide literary legends—among them, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe. But Maxwell Perkins remained a mystery, a backstage presence who served these authors not only as editor extraordinaire but also as critic, psychoanalyst, father-confessor, and devoted friend. But who really was Maxwell Perkins? “Now the mystery has been solved, in A. Scott Berg’s exhaustive, penetrating, and wholly satisfying biography” (Miami Herald). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

didn't get it - amazon screwed up
Magically, Amazon.com switched my address to my old address, an apartment I moved out of over 3 years ago.In that time, I have ordered from Amazon more than a dozen times, so there should have been no reason that my account still had that address.

When I contacted Amazon, they said I should contact the seller.Of course, it's not the seller's fault.

It was an obvious response that any big business would have.I didn't know I had to be more careful when ordering.

So...no review of this book, I only paid for it but didn't receive it.

More about his authors than about Perkins himself
Note, first of all, how that title can be taken two ways -- depending on whom one considers to be the genius. (Second, puckishly, note that this is not *the* Scott Berg, but merely A. Scott Berg.) Perkins is probably the most famous book editor in the history of the world -- most famous as an editor, I mean -- but he's still not all that famous. Berg, probably astutely realizing exactly what the audience for a book like this is, concentrates almost entirely on Perkins's professional life. That means that MAX PERKINS reads almost like a group biography of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Thomas Wolfe, with occasional digressions on Ring Lardner and a few others. Berg skips Perkins's childhood almost entirely, only sketches his (apparently tumultuous) relationship with his wife, and mentions their daughters only for color or when one of them is getting married. MAX PERKINS is organized semi-chronologically, which came to seem a mistake -- Berg keeps getting ahead of himself while running through Perkins's work with one author, and then has to back up and fill in on other aspects of his life. Perkins will probably never get another biography, but I think the materials here, and Berg's aims in writing this book, would have been better served if Berg had organized it by author, and written much more obviously a book about Perkins's working relationships, rather than writing what looks like a biography but spends so little time on its subject's actual life. MAX PERKINS is a fine book, both about what it means to be an editor specifically, and what kind of life a dedicated man in any line of business is likely to have -- one defined entirely by the work he does, and interesting only insomuch as that work is -- but it substitutes Homeric catch-phrases about "Yankee reserve" for a deep examination of Perkins's character and personality.

Informative, heartbreaking...
Quite simply, a must read for anyone who is a fan of Hemingway, Wolfe, Fitzgerald, Maxwell Perkins or the early part of the 20th Century in America. The insight gained into who these men were was astounding if not downright life-altering. What I thought I knew of the "Big Three" early-century writers changed with each page. Who I thought the men were are not who I now know them them to be.

An easy read filled with moments of joy and heartbreak as each image was shattered and rebuilt (or not). Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

IRRELEVANT
I bought this book on the recommendation somewhere of some agent, in a list of books he said every novelist should have. But I found it irrelevant. Too left-brain for me. The question about writing fiction is this: How do you make it all come together -- the story, the narrative voice, the main character in motion, some kind of meaning, realistic detail, etc. -- to create the magic that is fiction? We want to lose ourselves in an imaginary world. How do you make that happen? I didn't find the answer here.

Practical and Insightful
As shocking as it may sound, many books on editing fail to give helpful, practical advice. This book succeeds where others have failed. McCormack's chapter on craft stands out like a shining beacon in the field of publishing books. Because of that chapter alone, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to write, edit, or teach fiction (or even non-fiction, which is actually what I want to edit).

McCormack's ideas on sensibility (you either have it or you don't) are interesting and, in some places, very insightful. I agree with him that not every editor is ideally suited to edit every book and that his/her taste must be similar to the taste of the "ideal reader" of a particular book. But at the same time, I'm not so sure that there are a "gifted few" who are born with editorial genius and the rest of the world are just a bunch of Philistines. I think everyone has some artistic sensibility. Whether or not they have the ability or inclination to use and develop this sensibility might be a different story.

However, my opinion once again coincides with his when he points out the important relationship between craft and sensibility. Craft gives you a "bag of tricks" or a set of practical skills and strategies for making a book better. But only artistic sensibility can guide you in how (or if) to use particular elements of your craft. For example, craft would say to avoid using the same verb repeatedly in one paragraph. But one of my classmates brought in a poignant paragraph from Neil Gaiman's American Gods that repeated the verb "believe" over and over to a marvelous effect. Clearly, the editor of American Gods needed to rely on sensibility to say, "Go ahead; break the `rules.' It's powerful, it's beautiful, don't ruin it because of your devotion to Strunk and White!"

Thinkers and Writers
A former editor, McCormack knows the territory well.He admits that he doesn't have all the solutions (some of which may never exist because of the nature of the current publishing industry), but his grasp of crucial issues is strong.He also examines some of the ways "we"--readers, writers, editors, agents, educators--think about literature, and his debunking of myths is also insightful and provocative.I especially enjoyed his views on the concept of "Theme."The book also gives writers another way to look at their writing for revision, never a bad thing.Two quibbles: first, the aforementioned lack of solutions.McCormack admits that he has none, and I'm not sure that editors can function differently in today's publishing industry.Indeed, if the industry changes enough, editors might become redundant, a truly frightening thought.Second, McCormack's background in philosophy makes some of his style unnecessarily (?) complex.He says that this revised edition cuts through some of the thick language, but he could simplify even more without doing any damage to his ideas or message.I recommend to book to serious writers--and any English Teacher who still makes students answer the questions at the end of the chapter.

A superb handbook for fiction writers
Now in a revised second edition that incorporates author's additional years of experience in the publishing industry since the publication of the first edition, The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist: A Book for Writers, Teachers, Publishers, and Anyone Else Devoted to Fiction is a no-nonsense guide to planning, writing, and revising a novel. Written by award-winning publisher Thomas McCormack, The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist offers constructive advice for each step of the creative process, from how to structure a novel, choose characters, and drive the story, to identifying common flaws in narratives, and apply appropriate remedies. Written in an amiable tone, often using examples, hypothetical writing scenarios, or dialogue-style discourse between industry professionals to clarify its points, The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist is a superb handbook for fiction writers but especially recommended for prospective and professional fiction editors.

Inspiration for Editors and an Eye-opener for Authors and Publishers
I have been around publishing houses, publishers and editors for many years. This is not only the best book I have ever read on the art and the craft of editing, but it is also the best of which I have ever heard. No editor I have known, and there have been many good ones, has described the goals and techniques so clearly.

I am inspired by this book, and you will be, too. You will also be left understanding exactly what should be happening between editors and their authors. ... Read more

Product Description
Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers is a detailed and authoritative manual recommending both general and scientific publication style and format for scientific papers, journal articles, books, and other forms of publication. The seventh edition of this essential resource has been fully updated and expanded to reflect changes in recommendations from authoritative international bodies, to keep pace with the interdisciplinary approach to science, and to provide updated recommendations in the world of electronic publication and resources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

CSE Manual ROCKS!
An excellent manual for science writers and editors.Covers everything from general syntax to handling of genetic nomenclature.The 'comma' is a thing of the past.

Useless as a reference book; the 6th Edition was better
I bought the 7th edition as soon as it hit the shelves.
I had a well-thumbed copy of the 6th edition, and was eagerly looking forward to the updated 7th.
However, although I am sure that the 7th edition has more up-to-date content in there somewhere, I never use it (that is NEVER). I always go for the 6th edition. Why? Because the index on the 7th edition is so poor as to render it completely useless as a reference.

I am looking forward to an improved 8th edition.

Could be better
This is the 7th edition of the CBE Manual, now renamed as CSE. I'm a science proofreader and typesetter and I must say I'm somewhat disappointed. In only a couple of hours browsing the book I've found a lot of mistakes in the math notation. Examples: 5.2.1.3, 2), missed + after dots; 13.3.1, the last integral has the pi misplaced (a serious problem, as the example is intended to show how indexes are placed); Table 12.11, f(x,y) should be italics, not upright; 12.3.2.1, |z> for the state of a system is wrong, as the character used is 'greater than' an not an angle bracket (which is not mentioned at all); according to 12.2.1.1, 3) space in units (eg, V s) is discouraged and a centered dot is preferred (V·s), but except in this chapter the book uses the space (rightly), etc. The Chicago Manual is much better in math. Now I wonder if the rest of the book has similar mistakes and the information is reliable. Selection of topics is also questionable. Still a valuable reference, but it should be used warily.

Scholarly Documentation
Everyone who is a scholar or academician must know how to handle various formats of documentation styles. CSE represents one of these, specifically in the field of the natural and physical sciences. Another one is APA published by the American Psychological Association, which is mainly utilized in the social sciences. Finally, in the humanities, especially language, literature and folklore, fine arts, etc., a scholar needs to use the MLA, Moderna Language Association style. By the way, here at Amazon you can get the latest edition of the MLA, 3rd ed., just published in May, 2008. Good luck in your scholarship ///Dr. Serafin Roldan

Could be better
This is the 7th edition of the CBE Manual, now renamed as CSE. I'm a science proofreader and typesetter and I must say I'm somewhat disappointed.In only a couple of hours browsing the book I've found a lot of mistakes in the math notation.Examples: 5.2.1.3, 2), missed + after dots; 13.3.1, the last integral has the pi misplaced (a serious problem, as the example is intended to show how indexes are placed); Table 12.11, f(x,y) should be italics, not upright; 12.3.2.1, |z> for the state of a system is wrong, as the character used is 'greater than' an not an angle bracket (which is not mentioned at all); according to 12.2.1.1, 3) space in units (eg, V s) is discouraged and a centered dot is preferred (V·s), but except in this chapter the book uses the space (rightly), etc.The Chicago Manual is much better in math.Now I wonder if the rest of the book has similar mistakes and the information is reliable.Selection of topics is also questionable.Still a valuable reference, but it should be used warily. ... Read more

Product Description
The AMA Manual of Style is a must-have guide for those seeking to publish research findings and anyone involved in medical or scientific publishing. But more than just a style manual, it offers guidance on how to navigate the dilemmas that authors, researchers and their institutions, medical editors and publishers, and members of the news media who cover scientific research confront on a daily basis. Written by an expert committee of JAMA and Archives editors, this 10th edition thoroughly covers ethical and legal issues, authorship, conflicts of interest, scientific misconduct, and intellectual property, in addition to preparation of articles for publication, style, terminology, measurement, and quantification. Now with an online component! The online subscription is activated by entering an access code number bound into the back of the book.

Customers who purchase the Special Online Bundle Package receive the hardcover 10th edition, as well as a one-year subscription to the Online Edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A must-have but not perfect
I'm a medical copy editor so this book is an essential reference in my work. The tenth edition presents up-to-date information in, as usual, a somewhat difficult format---the categories and placement of topics therein don't always seem as user-friendly as they might be.
The otherwise excellent chapter "Correct and Preferred Usage" exemplifies the fatal flaw of this manual (if indeed it has one): People who tend to get this stuff wrong typically won't know to look for (or where to look for) help, if only because they don't recognize issues as matters of "usage"---for example, test results, not tests, are negative, but I invariably have to fix this in the books I edit, so obviously it's not getting through to authors, at least some of whom presumably use this manual. (Of course, it's great to have these rules and rulings, but I'm the copy editor so I already know them.)
Also, I don't always agree that AMA style is the best. Reference style, for example, seems too detailed and fussy without any real benefit---six author names? Come on, please.
An odd and illogical choice, to my mind, is use of numbers in terms like "3-dimensional," instead of "three-dimensional." Typically, in medical/scientific discussions using this term, consideration of the number of dimensions isn't the point; it's just three versus two (a descriptive designation, not a measurement), and if a shorter form is needed because of frequent use, then "3D" is the obvious solution.
Another reviewer mentions the lack of consistency in use of periods: "Susan St. James" has a period; "St Louis, MO" does not.
Finally, the index should be more detailed---sometimes it's hard to guess the main entry for whatever it is I'm looking for.
However, the material on genetics is great to have, as are the updates on references material to include electronic sources.

Typically stilted medical prose, unfortunately
The opening pages of the new style manual illustrate a serious problem with medical writing style. This sentence, for example, "Preparation of a scholarly manuscript requires thoughtful consideration of the topic and anticipation of the reader's needs and questions", is typical of the stuffy, pretentious, and dead style in which medical articles are usually written. What is wrong with the sentence, you ask? Nothing grammatical. But the first two words signal the ponderous style used in most academic and scientific writing. "Preparation" is a noun that should be a verbal: "Preparing". "Preparation of" indicates a long and ponderous noun phrase that contains a head noun plus an unnecessary prepositional phrase: "of a scholarly manuscript". To make the sentence parallel, the author adds two more of those bloated long and ponderous noun phrases that contain a head noun plus an unnecessary prepositional phrase: "thoughtful consideration of the topic" and "anticipation of the reader's needs and questions". What's wrong with saying it this way: "Preparing a scholarly manuscript requires thoughtfully considering the topic and anticipating the reader's needs and questions"? The original sentence is 19 words; the revised is 16 words. That reduces the word count by 15%. In a volume of 1032 pages, that means at least 1000 fewer words to read just by eliminating one verbose structure. Scientific and academic writing contains so many verbose structures that a good editor would probably be able to eliminate between 5000-8000 words in 1000 pages of text without altering the soporific third person impersonal passive style that the JAMA and Archives series editors use. To actually make the book interesting to read -- and as a medical editor for the past dozen years, I have to say that I find it useful but boring -- would require a rewrite using active verbs and a much more direct and personal style. The authors might have said "When writing your scholarly article, think deeply about the topic and anticipate your reader's needs and questions". That's 17 words, only a 10% reduction. Still, it directly addresses the reader because it uses "your". Readers generally prefer to be talked *to* rather than talked *at*: it's more personal. I believe, however, thatthe first admonition, "think deeply about the topic", is superfluous. Anticipating the reader's needs and questions requires the author to think deeply about the topic. That eliminates another 6 words: "When writing your scholarly article, anticipate your reader's needs and questions". That's a mere 11 words, a 42% reduction. Someone said that brevity is the soul of wit. Whoever it was was right.

With medical journal editors who seem to believe that the words in scholarly manuscripts should act on readers as sodium thiopental and its siblings act on patients under the knife, it's no wonder that scholarly manuscripts continue to be soporific. It isn't necessary for scientific articles to sound like dirges when they're read. But old habits die hard, don't they?

AMA Manual of Style 10 Edition
The book was listed as used, but it was like a new book. I am very pleased with the book and the low price that I paid.

Use it as a reference only
This book was great to give all the rules and examples for citation, but I found the organization hard to use.It had that 'stereo instruction' approach that didn't seem very straight forward unless I only wanted info on how to cite one specific thing only.This is specifically a reference book, not a reading book about the art of citation. One big plus:It's very comprehensive for many different kinds of sources including proper use and citation of online resources.

AMA Manuel of Style
I ordered this book because it is a text required by my Professor (ODU). It is exactly what I wanted and is in great (new) condition. ... Read more

Product Description

Packed with customizable editing tools--this practical, up-to-date reference includes the latest on writing and editing online

The McGraw-Hill Desk Reference for Editors, Writers, and Proofreaders is an indispensable resource for writers, editors, proofreaders, and virtually everyone responsible for crafting clear, polished writing. Ideal for professionals and novices alike, it guides you through the entire proofreading and editing process and features a CD-ROM with more than 25 interactive tools and checklists.

This all-in-one package offers style sheet templates, a list of editor’s symbols, comprehensive editing and proofreading checklists, and guides to commonly misspelled and confused words. It also presents advice on electronically editing and proofreading for the Web.

Customer Reviews (3)

Expected a bit more
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this product. It covers the material it says it will cover, so for that I was pleased at the very least. My expectations were simply a bit higher than what I received.The CD-ROM that is included does provide some forms and other useful items. Overall I would say this is a very basic book for someone who knows probably not much about the world of editing, writing and proofreading. If that is you, then it might be worth the investment. If you are a bit more further along, then this might be too elementary.

Desk Reference
This is an awesome book, and worthy to be purchased by anyone, not just editors or writers.I have the book dog-eared, underlined, and stars placed next to a particular item of interest. There was a gob of new information, and some great hints as well. This is definitely a book to consider for part of your reference library.

Indispensable Bible for Writing or Editing!
This book covers it all.If you are serious about your writing or the writing of others, this book is one-stop shopping.After editing for over twenty years, this book taught me how to not only think like a writer and editor, but to also think like a business person.It covers what references are needed and why, how to edit in an organized manner, and how to maintain consistency and clarity in any document.This book also covers electronic, PDF, and PowerPoint editing.Online references are given for quick assistance while in the process of writing or editing.Also, there's a test included as to focus on what the writer or editor's weaknesses are.This book is amazingly up-to-date and covers most needs for the serious wordsmith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful! Wonderful!
This is one of my all-time favorite books and my absolutely favorite book of letters.

I'm a textbook editor myself, and I first read this book fairly early in my career. I learned from Perkins how to respond to authors in a helpful way that would soothe them and get them to do what I wanted. From that point of view, it was almost a textbook on how to get along with authors.

Besides that, the book was terrifically entertaining and interesting. Max Perkins was the literary intimate of almost every great American writer of the first half of the twentieth century: Thomas Wolfe, Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (The Yearling), and many others. ... Read more

Product Description

Being a successful editor is about more than just knowing how to operate a certain piece of software, or when to make a certain transition. On the contrary, there are many unwritten laws and a sense of propriety that are never discussed or taught in film schools or in other books.

Customer Reviews (8)

Required reading for aspiring film and TV editors
Lori Jane Coleman and Diana Friedberg's book "Make The Cut" is an incredibly invaluable resource, packed with detailed and useful information about how to become an assistant editor, what to do when you are one, and how to move up and away from being one once you're ready to do so.

The first chapter covers briefly, yet effectively, how best to prepare for and obtain an assistant editing job.The remaining bulk of the book gets right down to business, going over the myriad duties and assignments typical of an assistant in TV or film.I think the best way to put it is that this book "demystifies" the role of an assistant editor by getting down to the nitty gritty details of what they actually do on a daily basis.It's something I've always wondered myself, even as a film school grad.Most film schools typically train students in the basic uses of NLE software, teaching them how to cut for themselves, which is fine... until the student heads to Hollywood and realizes that no one is going to hire him as an editor until he pays his dues as an apprentice or assistant.Knowing how to cut doesn't necessarily mean that you'll know how to assist.As our authors clearly illustrate, assistant editing is an entirely specialized role of its own.

After covering the basics, from handling dailies to prepping for the online cut, the book delves into potential differences among genres, such as documentaries and reality TV, using helpful screencaps from both Avid and Final Cut Pro systems.It also wisely ventures into some of the most common unwritten rules of the editing room, offering tips in ways to navigate tricky politics and personality conflicts. And lastly, it discusses the various ways in which a career can be molded in the post industry.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who's serious about approaching film/TV editing as a career.It offers up a wealth of specific and relevant information pertaining to the world of assistant editing, delivered by two talented and experienced ACE editors.

A must read for anymore pursuing editing as a career
Plenty on people come out of film school dreaming of editing on hit movies or TV shows. However, people don't dream of being an assistant doing all the technical grunt work to make things easier on the person in charge to doing all the creative work.

But since it's nearly impossible to become the former without several years working as the latter it's a great help to have a book like Making the Cut to guide through the world of assistant editing.

This book is nothing if not thorough. The authors (versed in both feature and TV editing) cover all areas of an assistant's duties and do a fair job covering both AVID and Final Cut workflows.

If you're not familiar with a lot of the deeply technical aspects of edit platforms (such as file formats and storage servers) you may want to brush up on them because this book will assume you have that figured out already.

At times, especially at the beginning, you might feel like you're being talked down to a bit, such as being told how to dress for an interview to curry favor by bringing doughnuts, but I chalk that up more to being comprehensive than condescending.

On top of technical duties the book also covers the social and political dilemmas of post production, which also may or may not come off as well intentioned. It may rub you the wrong way to be specifically told how to give a generic opinion, but it is a good thing to keep in mind if you find yourself in a thorny situation.

This book is also very practical-minded when talking about making a career as an editor, including how to get and keep working, join the Editors Guild and how to budget in a way that'll keep you financially secure between projects.

I personally would like to land an assistant editing position, so despite it's arguable moments, Making the Cut was an eye-opening look at steps needed to make that happen.

A career guide that tells the reader to excel technically, have good people skills, interface w/ the crew, and protect thy boss.

I found this to be a hard review to write. Normally I pick up a book after reading its title and figure that it will include something that will interest me. I read the title to the instant book and figured the contents would include information about what a skilled film editor needs to know to be good at his job. Basically I expected to read a book that would help me understand "how to stock footage, sound effects (SFX), music (MX), visual effects (VFX or VIZFX), automatic dialog replacement (ADR), onlining, protecting network/studio assets, and even organizing the office space." [see page 3 of book]. I also expected to learn about being "responsible for paperwork systems, project settings and organization, digitizing, import/export/file transfer procedures, logging, media storage, backup technologies and procedures." [id]. Unfortunately I did not get what I expected. Instead I was stuck reading a career guide for someone considering getting a degree in filmmaking or who has sufficient technical training to skip such schooling.

Sometimes I give a very low star rating to a book that is guilty of bait and switch. Sometimes I don't. It really depends on the mood I find myself in when sitting down to write my review. I have put off writing this review for over a month now. So if I cannot find some good qualities in it, then I should have written a killer review a month ago, i.e, 1-star.

The authors have been involved in filmmaking for a long time now - more than 30 years each I think I read. I got the feeling they are kind of old and by writing this book they were "giving back" so younger people could successfully follow in their footsteps. The authors are freelancers. They work on projects and when one projects ends they go without work for a bit until another project comes along. In the book they explain how a recent graduate of filmmaking school needs to get an intern position under a film editor. Such jobs usually are performed without pay, but they enable you to eventually get hired as an assistant film editor - i.e., chief bottle washer under a full-fledged film editor. Interestingly we are told you have to be an assistant before you can become a full-fledger. However, one of the full-fledgers interviewed at the end of the book said he had no technical skills and couldn't do what an assistant does if his life depended on it. So I got conflicting messages from this book.

If I were interested in learning about how to get an internship, then get gigs as an assistant editor, and finally get recognized as a full-fledged editor, then I would have been very happy to read this book. It explains that there is a lot of pro bono work provided by the wanta-be assistant editor. There is a lot of effort required to be expended in order to appear to be skilled and competent and willing to go the extra mile. All in all, I though someone would have to be crazy to want to be a film editor in the filmmaking business. It reminded me of my days trying to find my way in the legal profession as an attorney. What a racket!

Much of what we are told is common practice in any project management setting. There are the managers with authority, and then there are the worker bees doing all the real work for little or no pay. By the way, why wasn't compensation mentioned more in this book? After all, money is why people pursue a career and this book is certainly a career guide.

This book included 16 chapters that were divided among 4 parts or sections. The subject headings for the "parts" did not really help me follow the book too well. And it seemed absurd to group 9 of the 16 chapters in a part called "Getting Started."

Since this book is a career guide I think it should have had a few less chapters in the first part of the book. I think there should have been a "part" that covered filmmaking schools and degree programs. And there certainly should have been some coverage of the technical training that could be substituted for a filmmaking degree before a person sought an internship.

So the book is mistitled. It covers a bunch of interesting stuff for a career guide, but it fails to cover all the bases that should be covered in a good career guide. So I can't say I loved or liked this book. But I didn't dislike or hate it, either. So what is left, a 3-star rating? The book is just OK.

Practicality Rules
The first thing you should know is that this is not a book about film aesthetics or theories of editing. In fact over 50% of this isn't about editing at all -- it is about how to work successfully as an assistant film editor.

I found this enormously valuable.

A lot of time is spent describing the real-world processes. How are units of professional editors organized? What are the common hierarchies? What works on the job? What doesn't?

I feel like a got about 9 months of on-the-job experience from this book.

Savvy guide

I was hoping this book would be more of a how to edit film guide rather than just how to "be" an assistant editor. I was disappointed because it wasn't as comprehensive as I had hoped and that was what I was looking for. However, this is a very savvy guide for any who dream to have a career in this field and want some tips on how to do it.

The book starts by giving basic advice about how to make friends with those in the field as well as how to make your resume. It then goes over how to organize your work load. I was a bit lost at this point because it assumes that you have some prior knowledge of editing film, which I do not. It does give good examples throughout on projects and how they are organized.

If you have some experience with film editing and you are ready to try and get yourself a job in the field, this is a handy guide to have. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Is it "in," or is it "on?"
It is often said great things come in small packages.Yes, that phrase is a cliché but nonetheless true; especially with the "Grammar, Usage & Style" pocket manual by SparkNotes.This small manual is packed with grammatical solutions in alphabetical order.The manual has 127 pages filled with a treasure of answers to correct many grammar issues.

The best way I am able to describe this helpful manual is by quoting a segment from the notes to the reader, "From the most clueless freshman to the most seasoned writer, everyone occasionally struggles with a grammatical issue.Maybe you have trouble remembering when to use who and when to use whom.Or maybe you find yourself thinking, is it 'the donut which I ate' or the donut that I ate?' When this kinds of questions pop up, you don't want to wade through a hefty, technical grammar manual or make wild-eyed guesses in the dark.You want succinct, easy-to-find answers..."(P. iii)

I strongly recommend this excellent pocket manual to help you with your everyday grammar issues.

The Kids on the Block

does what it claims
This guide serves as an excellent easy-to-access reference when writing anything that needs to appear professional and polished. It addresses very common misuses of words and stylistic errors dealing with punctuation, sentence structure, and phrases. I found it very easy to find what I was looking for in the book and got a highly usable and satisfactory lesson once I arrived there. It can easily fit in a desk drawer or will unobtrusively squeeze into a bookshelf. ... Read more