Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Great handbook
This book is great for all-things-technical-communication.It has everything from interviews, to posters, to resumes, to groupwork, to citation formats, memos, and more.And then a whole lot more after that.

Great book
This is an excellent book and has been a great resource to me. I am in a technical writing class and it has helpful hints and guidelines to follow. Once again, a great resource to have for any and every writing occasion!

I Wish All Books Were This Well Organized, Written, and Revised
Most of the entries in Handbook of Technical Writing, Ninth Edition are geared toward business and technical writers, but I believe the advice would be helpful to anyone who writes.

WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT?
----------------------------
I used to work as a translator of technical, business, and legal documents (Japanese into English), and I found this to be an invaluable reference work (back when it was the sixth edition). As a graduate student writing academic papers, I have upgraded to this one. In fact, sometimes I just flip through it for fun and read different sections because they are interesting. I always get something out of it. The writing is clear and concise. The examples look like they are drawn from real life. The entries are arranged alphabetically, and if you cannot find what you are looking for, you can use the index. The book itself is a model of how to write.

IS THE NEW EDITION BETTER?
----------------------------
The content has changed over time since I first used the sixth edition. Sometimes entries have disappeared altogether, some are new, and the ones that remain have often been reworded. This is great! They didn't just keep churning out new editions with minor changes, but they actually combed through it and worked to improve it.

I highly recommend this!

FREEBIES
----------------------------
Also, don't forget about the internet resources they have made available to go along with the book. If you create an account with them as a student or instructor (takes less than a minute) you get even more content. There are helpful links, model documents, and so forth available for free.

It's in GREAT shape!
The book arrived in great timing, and It's in great shape. Great seller right here!

Great handbook
I largely appreciate the layout of this handbook - everything is alphabetized for quick reference!Provides excellent examples of format and design.This is one of the few college textbooks I actually intend to keep! ... Read more

Product Description
Content Summary

Technical writing is an essential form of straightfoward communication that allows readers to accomplish a specific task using easy-to-understand directions.

Our book also dispels the myth that all technical writing only pertains to user manuals; rather, technical writing covers a host of purposes including interoffice memos, e-mail, and other basic forms of daily communication.

Part I of our multi-purpose textbook is written, designed, and sequenced for an introduction to technical writing course.  Taking into account that most students in such a course are not familiar with technical writing, or consider it a form used only by scientists or ""techies,"" the material in Part I is introductory in nature. Only the most relevant details that students would need to apply to their own writing projects are examined.  Each of the sections in Part I is developed on a much more advanced level in Part II, where students in an introductory course can refer if they have an interest in learning more about a given topic.

Part II also has a dual purpose in that it can be used as a textbook for several advanced technical writing courses or as a technical writing handbook or desk reference for working technical writers--it presents full coverage of topics and issues in technical writing.  Topics that a technical writer would encounter on the job are covered with precise detail. Students in an introductory technical writing course have to know how design affects the overall readability and success of a document; Part I will introduce students to the concepts of basic page design. However, in Part II, students will go beyond the basics and learn details about the kind of document design that is expected in a professional setting. Part II also discusses digital document collaboration, professional development, and research methods to give the book an innovative, multi-faceted approach. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Bible
this book will no doubt be kept very close to me at all times. and thank you to the seller who sent me this book in such good condition. technical writing will definately help me obtain the type of job that i want.

clear, concise, and helpful
This text is a good introduction and overview of a subject that can be daunting. It is well-organized and uses clear examples to aid the reader. ... Read more

Product Description
This essential guidebook covers the fundamentals of writing for technical professions. The short, easy-to-use book outlines the major principles of technical writing and is filled with examples from real situations, as well as tips on writing reports and user manuals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great stuff!
I am glad I purchased The Elements of Technical Writing. It is a great resource.

This reference should be on EVERY writer's desk -- not just technical writers.
This book manages to pack a lot of material in quite a small bundle!

Chapters 1-4 outline 50 umbrella rules to good (technical and other) writing. This address issues as wide-ranging as avoiding jargon, using proper hyphenation, and formatting complex mathematical formulas within your writing. It's not just a list -- it spans 4 chapters and includes both explanation and examples! The remaining 5 chapters are dedicated to specific topics such as writing manuals and proposals.

Throughout, Blake and Bly manage to be both concise and incredibly useful. They provide examples for everything: writing numbers and symbols, revising wordy sentences, and the overuse of "-ize" (with lists of false words, though I disagree with several which have become standard in the language, business, or industry). Showing good writing vs. poor speeds effective learning!

There are 2 appendices: A) "Writing in the Systems Environment", a short 2-page guide about how systems departments work and how this affects writing, and B) "A Brief Guide to Software for Writers." I found the appendices less useful than the text.

Personally, I think "The Elements of Technical Writing" is top-notch. However, someone who needs in-depth tutoring in English grammar would not be served well by this book. Some people need a slower intoduction to everything. This book is *not* wordy, but it covers a lot of ground quickly.

This warning should not be necessary for a college class, but unfortunately, people graduate from high school unable to write as even an eighth-grader should! Professors may consider using this book as a supplement to another -- not because it's inadequate, but because too many students have such low skills. Let the slower book baby them along, and match chapters from this book as reference material.

For the rest of us, this book reminds us of grammar rules that have gotten fuzzy over time. This is staying on my shelf!

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. ... Read more

Product 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 writer+s 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 (29)

My Purchase Has Not Shipped
I ordered a book almost a month ago. I was told that it would be delivered between august 19 and September 3, and it has yet to even ship. I'm certain that my credit card has already been charged, and I have no idea how to contact them.

Informative and easy reference
This reference is required for an advanced tech writing class I am currently taking.

The division of topics are logical and concise with relevant and helpful cross references. The index is by far the best I have ever used.

This reference is a great tool which anybody can use.

Every Technical Communicator Should Have a Copy
(NOTE: This review is based on the 7th edition of this work.)

This (together with Microsoft's Manual of Style for Technical Publications) is definitely one of the top reference books that all technical communicators should have in their library. I forgot the number of times I've consulted this small-sized but dense (and heavy) 646-page reference book.

Organized alphabetically, the "Handbook" addresses almost every topic and concept one can think of in technical communications, and then some...

Not only the material is presented in chapters devoted to one letter of the alphabet (A to Z), but there are also three different Indexes which make navigation through this dictionary a breeze.

There is of course the regular alphabetical Index at the end of the book. But in the front, there are also a "Checklist of the Writing Process" and the "Topical Key to the Alphabetical Entries" which are both very useful.

One distinguishing characteristic of this great handbook, in addition to the explanation of individual concepts, is the concern for the training of the users. This is not a simple dictionary just aiming to "explain" things and leave it at that. The authors Alred, Burslaw and Oliu also genuinely want to help the readers become better and successful technical writers in every possible way.

Sidebars and special topics, for example, are a reflection of that broader concern.

Examples: the comprehensive entry on Resumes, Pronouns, English as a Second Language, many Checklists on a variety of topics, Instructions (on procedural writing), components of a document, graphics and illustrations, etc.

I also love the special WEB LINK inserts which refer the reader to selected online sources.

Here are some of my most favorite Checklists provided by the Handbook:

* Observing Workplace Netiquette
* Newsletter Articles
* Revising Your Draft
* Using Headings
* Creating and Using Drawings
* Creating Sales or Informational Brochures
... and dozens more!

This is one of the books that (yes) I sometimes take with me when I go out on vacation in case I need to check something, or just to crack it open to a random page and read it for my own personal pleasure. Highly recommended.

Great Book Good Price
I got this book fairly cheap and has pretty much all the same info as the ninth addition. good deal

A good, general writing handbook.
The book is very handy.Not only does it serve as a good technical writing reference, but it is also a great general reference for everyday writing. ... Read more

Product Description
Technical writing is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. today. Yet, many people are uncertain about what technical writing entails -- and how it differs from other types of business writing. Technical Writing For Dummies clears away the confusion and shows you how to research and write terrific technical documentation. It includes:

• How to use the Internet to effectively research technical documents
• A guide to creating different types of technical documents, from abstracts to user manuals
• A how-to guide to crafting technical documents for online and computer presentations

Customer Reviews (11)

TOO MUCH SELF-PROMOTION
I was greatly turned off by the amount of times the author mentioned the other books she has written. It is a given that if you enjoy a book you will naturally look for more materials by the author. She didn't need to plug her other projects in every chapter. In addition, I found some spelling errors in the book and I thought it was too verbose. There were also too many attempts at humor (and also brain teasers for some strange reason) that weren't funny or insightful to the subject at hand.

Great guide
I received the book on time as promised and was able to use the information right away.

Good Stuff
I'm taking an internet class in this topic and the book has been an excellent source of material to go along with it.

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! ... Read more

Product Description

This unique anthology was created with a simple principle in mind: to offer the best advice from the best sources about the most important issues business and technical writers face every day.

Strategies for Business and Technical Writing teaches effective writing for the world of work. Reading selections from seasoned professionals in business, technical, and academic fields provide examples, models, and sound advice for writers at any level. Covering such topics as audience analysis, language use and misuse, writing and revision processes, and the influence of technology on communication in the working world, this book will appeal to both practical-minded students and professionals already working in business, technology, and industry.

Customer Reviews (3)

Dated Material, Some over 40 Years Old
If you are looking for a topical discussion of technical and business writing, I think you can do better.

That said, the book is a quick, informal, benign read. Though it purports to be updated, some of the essays go back to the early 60s.

Some of the techniques discussed don't quite agree with the methods discussed in Mike Markel's "Technical Communication" or Carolyn Rude's "Technical Editing."

If your instructor requires it for a course, buy it used. You'll likely sell it to someone else when you're done, as I will. It makes no sense to lose that much value on the resale.

New Edition is Not Really New
This book is supposed to be a new edition but there are only a few articles that have changed.Some outdated ones still remain.Unfortunately, there aren't any standards for what constitutes a new edition. This is a shame because students pay more for books that are almost identical to previous editions.

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 (9)

technical writing
The product was well packaged and delivered on time.

Good Job

Shreyans Shah

I liked this book
It is geared to more technical which was great insight for me and helps me in my more technical writing activities and dealing with engineers and devlopers.

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. ... Read more

Product Description
The focus of this text is to teach engineering students the skill of technical writing. It takes a project oriented approach and covers writing functions that are of particular use to the engineering student. This book is part of the B.E.S.T. Series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pretty helpful
Finkelstein does an alright job with this book. It includes a lot of examples to base your paper off of. It shows you business letters, proposals, technical mechinism reports. tech process reports, technical diffinitions, progress reports, resume stuff, formal letters, memos, etc.

It was required for my technical communications class for engineers. It's definately something to keep on the shelf for reference.

An adequate intro for beginners
A college-level textbook, this is an adequate but brief introduction to the types of writing most technology workers will be expected to produce on the job. Although the book includes a unique chapter on writing as part of a team, it does not cover two topics that many engineers and scientists will face at work: 1) writing product descriptions, white papers, and other input for marketing and sales materials; 2)how to be an effective subject expert when working with a professional technical writer or copywriter. ... Read more

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

Technical Writing: Principles, Strategies and Readings offers a flexible combination of instructional chapters and readings that reflect today's technical writing classroom.

The fifteen instructional chapters offer a comprehensive introduction to technical communication, while articles from professional journals and Web sites–which comprise about one-fourth of the text–offer insight and advice on specific communication topics, including writing for the Web. Each concise, self-contained instructional unit includes extended models and exercises which can be used in class or for collaborative or homework assignments. Students who study technical writing as part of their career preparation in science, business, engineering, social services and technical fields will find this text particularly useful.

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent book! (not your typical half-baked Thompson/Pearson offering)
I used this book as a student in a technical writing class. The book was EXCELLENT, and served all levels of writers well. It starts with general good writing practices -- outlining, avoiding jargon, writing clearly (especially using proper grammar), being accurate, using parallel construction, writing for mixed audiences, using appropriate style and tone, and using good document design (both logical and format-wise). It moves through intermediate topics -- how to use line drawings and other graphics, writing various types of descriptions (chronological, spatial, and so forth), when to use the various types of definitions, and formatting numbers, measurements, and lists. This continues through advanced concepts -- writing instructions, writing for the web, writing in a group, formal report writing, and giving presentations and oral reports.

Some of the stongest points in this book (besides the no-nonsense writing itself) are:

* "models" (examples of writing) at the end of each chapter,
* "Advice From the Workplace" (excellent articles about workplace writing),
* Appendix A (grammar, puntuation, and mechanics -- including numbers and abbreviations),
* and Appendix B (frequently confused words).

Excellent examples are also part of the text throughout the book.

Sadly, many college students today do *not* have English skills that should be *required* to graduate high school! It's partly due to the large number of non-native English speakers attending college, but mostly it's just poor schooling. This book *does* provide the tools to help college students (who would probably *not pass* a standardized test) to improve their English as well as their writing, if they were given a free pass out of high school. It is up to the *professor* to see that grammar skills are being improved. Sadly, that was not the case in my class -- not at all.

Diana Reep has done all she can to serve both non-native speakers and advanced writers alike. Please, professors, if you buy a book like this, don't waste it by ignoring your students' shorcomings with the English language!

Good Book for the Technical Writer
If you are a technical writer, or want to become one, this book is a very helpful reference and guide.Very useful sections on writing instructions, short reports, and long reports.This book is one of several similar books that should be used by the professional, or by someone learning technical writing.

A good book for technical writer
If you want to improve your technical writing skill, from manual writing, or technial report composition, this book is for you.

This is an excellent book.
I was required to take a technical writing course for my degree and this is the book we used.It did an excellent job of explaining how things should be professionally written.It covers everything from asking for a recommendation to typing a resume to typing a proper e-mail.The layout of the book makes everything very easy to learn.After every concept there are examples of what a proper document should look like and sometimes even an example of what it should not look like.At the time, I thought I would never use anything I was learning, but after only two months out of the class I find myself using it to type up my resume.If you are in a job that requires professionalism in language and writing skills then this book is a must have.You will be surprised at what you can learn. ... Read more

Product 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 (4)

Technical Scientific Writing
Condition very good, just as listed.Fast delivery.No problems.Glad the book was available with such good service.

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

Product 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 (12)

Technical Writing Textbook
The text is a useful guide and reference source for technical writing.Although it is used in a college setting, the book is written in terms that are easy to understand for readers that may have taken the course in an advanced high school level.Many examples are provided, and it emphasizes proper form, organization, and tips to improve documents that you'll encounter in any business setting.

Textbook, useful, basic information for classroom settings
As the description states, this textbook is basic, useful information for classroom settings.I was looking for best practices on formatting a training or technical manual for print. What belongs in the introduction of the manual, chapters, sections, etc? How long should chapters and sections be? How should information be organized?

satisfied
Purchased this textbook (used) for hardly any money, arrived on time and is in an acceptable condition.

technical writing process and product 5th edition
i payed for the text book on dec 17 an it has not came yet i would like the book

Good book for the novice to intermediate technical writer.
This book does a very good job of explaining effective communication through technical writing.

The book covers many types of writing in the work place like Memos, Email, letters, Reports, Proposals, Brochures, Newsletters, Resumes, Manuals, website design for effective communication, Technical descriptions and oral communication. It also covers the effective use of graphics in a document or presentation. The book covers the legalities, practicalities, ethicalities, ethical standards of writing.

The book is filled with screen shots of several different types of communications listed above. It's very detailed in it explanations of subjects. The book covers in detail writing different types of reports and the types of audiences you would be writing too based on the report type and the information within the report.

Each topic is covered in detail and shows you how to effectively communicate in each of the mediums.It covers figuring out who your audience is going to be and writing to that audience. Writing to several audiences at once.

The book describes several key points like effective communication, researching your topic, pre writing, writing and re writing. The book covers writing in a team and discusses working in a collaborative effort. The also covers the format of the document, sentence structure, alternative wording, concise sentences. Arranging the document in topical chronological order to make sure the wording and though process flow well and is easily understood.

For me this book really defined technical writing and practices. There are plenty of diagrams that cover many things like writing process, case studies.

The book is divided into Activities that start out as different writing scenarios based on a business need. At the end of each activity there are 20 question quizzes that will ask you some basic but thought provoking questions like: What is the purpose of the report? how does pre writing help? The questions are different for each activity preformed.


The book does a good job of explaining the mechanics of writing, grammar and punctuation for those who need a refresher course. This book was really helpful to me, I consider myself an intermediate level technical writer. It's fairly easy to read and understand. The Gersons do a great job of walking the reader through the entire process of writing from concept to final product. I'm not sure how much an advanced technical writer will get out of this because it really geared for the novice to intermediate technical writer. For the advanced technical writer this is maybe a two to three star book but for the novice to intermediate technical writer this a four to five star book and that's what I'm basing my rating on.
... Read more

Product Description
This new edition retains much of the vision of the previous editions-it encompasses written, oral, and visual communication-but also reflects current practices in the field of technical writing, with continued emphasis on workplace communicationThe focus remains on the entire writing process from planning through revision, with topics discussed including, defining technical communication, the workplace audience, developing a clear, direct communication style, information design, graphics as a means to support and clarify information, technology, the technical writing process including planning and drafting, and reviewing and revising.For anyone interested in improving his or her writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great
the book was in great condition, no tear, no writing. Overall I'm very happy with it.

Decent book
I didn't really use this book much except that some assignments came from the book.I didn't find it to be too helpful with my studying.I used other materials for a better understanding in technical writing. ... Read more

Product Description

Proven techniques and invaluable advice for writing winning business proposals—revised and updated!

What makes a winning business proposal? It highlights your skills and services, meets your client's needs, and clearly sets you apart from the competition.

Since 1995, Handbook for Writing Proposals has helped thousands of professionals develop winning proposals. This exceptional handbook guides you through the unique nine-step proposal-writing process from the initial RFP to the client presentation. In this revised and updated version, the authors show you how to:

• Choose the RFPs that give you the best chance of success
• Showcase your company's skills and services
• Set realistic time/cost schedules and budgets
• Avoid the mistakes that sink most proposals
• Build client relationships that bring you repeat business
• Tailor your writing for an international business audience

The second edition also offers you a wealth of downloadable forms and checklists that you can adapt for your own proposal-writing process.

Whether you own your own business, need to train your corporate staff, or simply want to improve your skills, Handbook for Writing Proposals, second edition will show you how to profit from every proposal you write.

Praise

This book guides you through the process of creating the best impression of your sweat equity to your customer. Whether you need to polish up and improve every aspect of the proposal or just certain elements, this book will fill the need. Remember, the economics of gain only occur when a customer feels you’ve fulfilled a need and created value.
Paul V. Baron, President, In-Store Bakery Division, The Quarter Oats Company

Handbook for Writing Proposals offers a wealth of down-to-earth, practical guidance on all phases of proposal writing. The book is well organized and full of concrete ideas that are easy to include in real-life situations. The sample letters, checklists, budgets, and proposals are extremely valuable. This book is a great resource for anyone whose success depends on convincing others through the proposal process.
Richard M. Sawdey, Former Vice President and Secretary, R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very good
great book to have if you already write proposals and a good intro and learning tool if you will be writing them.

RFP made easier
Not wordy, just to the point. Combined with the PMBOK would allow for a good to great proposal.

great book
I am starting my own business. This book give me the information needed to get the grant.Thanks. ... Read more

Product Description
Developed for use by non-native speakers of English enrolled in Technical Writing and Communication courses. 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 Technical Writing and Professional Communication: A Handbook for Nonnative Speakers, 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 to the intercultural concerns in today's business world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent for scientific writers!
All scientists need to write and this is the book they need to read. This book teaches scientists how to communicate effectively by writing clearly. Unlike most of the writing books, this book targets the scientific writers. For example, it explains what the introduction section in a journal paper is supposed to do. I highly recommend this book to all research professionals.

Oustanding - The best book written on technical writing
I bought this book several years ago and it helped me improve my writing almost overnight.When I follow the authors suggestions, especially those on organization of technical memos and reports, I usually get compliments on the clarity of my document.Several times after distributing them I've gotten them back with a hand written note from the CEO or VP with notes like "Excellent!" or Great Report!".They appreciate a technical report that, while detailed, is easy to read and informs them very quickly precisily what they need to know to act on it.

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.

A very good book
This book is exactly what everybody needs, especially nonnative speakers. Among the many technical writing books that I have, this one is always provides me with the best information. I highly recommend it. It is easy, comperhensive, and excellent....

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

Product Description
Presents practical advice for anyone who is, or will be, working in the technical professions.It introduces the world of technical communication, the types of documents that technical professionals follow to get their work done. Spiral.DLC: English language - Technical English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Indispensable: Tech Writing Gem
This book has become an indispensable reference guide when I write. It is written in a manual/workbook format with tabs for quick reference.It is clearly organized and endlessly useful; each chapter has:
- a brief overview of the topic/writing project
- strategies for execution (including rhetorical context and device)
- steps and process tips
- checklists and conceptually illustrative charts
- excellent examples
- classroom exercises

The book is organized into two sections, Basic Tools (featuring format, style, and editing issues) and Professional Applications (featuring specific kinds of technical writing like reports, proposals, executive summaries, etc).The book includes a useful glossary and additional online resources.

The formatting is excellent: attractive, "scannable", with clear visual hierarchies.The pages look more like a website than a reference guide.

My copy is battered from over-use, highlighted, tagged, and cross-referenced.Use it, you will love it.I'm buying another copy so that I can have one at home and one at work.

Quick and Easy
I was aware that the seller had not sold much on Amazon.com so I was a little leery, but the transaction was smooth and the shipment was fast. Thanks!

Great Reference Tool
This is a excellent resource for actual professionals or those just getting started in tech writing. Contents include everyday documentation like emails, reports, and RFP responses as well as sections on international communication. It also covers style and rhetorical strategy (pathos anyone?).

I used this book for a college course then kept it for my work in the real world, writing user guides for technology classrooms at my University. It is designed as a handbook and not a textbook so some chapters may be repetitive if you a reading from cover to cover.Those of you looking for long drowned out chapters of text with no meat should look elsewhere.

I hear there is a 4th edition floating around somewhere.

Book is suck.
The book is suck. The book describes all techniques in first chapter at once and too many complicated examples. Should have been wrote clearly step by step. I don't think it is a good book for students.

Writing for the Technical Professions
This book helped me write technically and professionally. The author highlighted the common errors by the writters for the technical writting.Tabs are an excellent way to organize this workbook.Some English professors already used this book as a reference book in their Technical Writing classes.I would like to use this book as a workbook to practice my technical writing skill for the computer software user manuals. ... Read more

Product Description
UnTechnical Writing is the handbook for writers in the high-tech world. It covers the art, science and politics of writing and producing technical books and documents for the consumer audience. It helps writers do their jobs quickly and more easily. It contains hints tips, methods and procedures for working with editors, managers, graphic artists and other writers. It shows writers how to get, grow and hone the skills they need to explain technology to the consumer audience. Perhaps most importantly, it teaches writers how to add life, and even fun, to their technical writing--so it gets read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Dated but useful
I had to purchase this for a technical writing class. The writer's humor is a bit goofy and the material is a bit dated, but the techniques discussed certainly stand up under time. The checklists and other forms in Chapter 10 were especially useful. There was one aspect of this book that, if they decide to do a updated version, I would love to see changed: lose most of the quotations. I know that the quotations are there to help humanize a technical topic, however, most of them were pointless and there were far too many.

Book title mislead readers
I bought this book hoping this book would provide me `do and don't list' on technical writing, but it did not deliver its' promise, confidently exhibited on the book's title..."How to Write About Technical Subjects and Products So Anyone Can Understand." The contents in the book is good, however, they broadly discuss the `technical writing' profession, not 'how to write....' I suggest author to change the title of the book so it does not mislead readers.

I Liked It!
I think this book is very helpful to people who have a limited knowlege base for the technical writing feild. This book introduced new ideas and terms relateted to technical writing that I was previously unaware of. I think this is a great book for beginners!

Helps you to understand the process of technical writing
I recently finished the book UnTechnical Writing by Michael Bremer.This is a quirky book for technical writers, and focuses on how to make your technical writing "readable" by untechnical people.Bremer has done a lot of writing for software such as The Sims, so he knows his craft.He also is involved in filmmaking, so you can guess he brings a lot of creativity into his writing.

I liked this book a lot.The tone of the book is conversational, replete with interesting quotes related to the subject of writing.While the book isn't one that will "teach" you how to write, it will help hone your technical writing skills such that you can effectively communicate to a non-technical readership.All too often, technical writers write for other techies.This may be fine if that's the audience, but usually it's not.

Another feature of this book is that it will help you understand the entire process of editing and layout.At this stage of my writing career, I can put words to paper and send it off to be "edited".That part is still a mystery to me, as well as what it takes to get a clean copy into a layout ready for publishing.After reading this book, I have a better idea of what others are doing to my original submission.

Good book if you do technical writing...

How to be the Best Technical Writer
If there was a subsection in the "How To" category of books called "How to be the Best" author/publisher Michael Bremer's book *Untechnical Writing* would have a true home.

Chock-full of insider tips and insights, the book is testament to its author's years as a writer, editor, manager, technical guru, and all-around "computer geek" nice guy.

Demystifying technical writing in itself and enlisting the reader's own intelligence and practicality, the book outlines how to not only do a technical job well but to do it in the smartest way possible.Invaluable! ... Read more

Product 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

Customer Reviews (2)

Recommended
I had to purchase this book for a Technical Communication class. The chapters were easy to understand and read through. The book provides many examples that you can reference when creating documents such as different forms of letters, etc.

Thank you
Thank you for your amazing service.Thank you for letting me purchase my book from you. ... Read more

Product Description
Advancedtechnical communication books are becoming more and more available. However,each book is solely devoted to a specialized topic such as technical editing,design, illustration, usability testing, and online documentation. Despite allof these introductory and advanced books, not one is available specificallydevoted to the challenges of style in technical communication. KEYTOPICS: This 12-point approach offers the most current andcomprehensive instruction available in achieving an effective style intechnical documents. It shows that technical prose style varies from the highlyformal to the colloquial, from the pretentious to the plain, and itdemonstrates the many stylistic strategies writers should consider for everytechnical document they write. Anyone who has to writeprofessional and technical documents, specifically, engineers, softwaredevelopers/consultants, medical writers, professional technical writers. Part of the Allyn & Bacon Series in Technical communication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Simple and Rather Elementary
This text examines various techniques to achieve more concise and memorable prose.However, there are other books on style that would be more beneficial: William Strunk, "Elements of Style."Jones' text is rather costly for a paperback, which is another drawback; however, for the novice technical writer with rudimentary writing skills, this book will suffice.

Great tool for technical writers
This book contains comprehensive instruction in writing technicaldocuments. It shows different style tactics for communicating technicalpieces. Each chapter has great examples to demonstrate the topic at hand,as well as challenging questions and discussion topics. The author explainstopics in a thorough and easy to read way. I highly recommend this book toanyone interested in applying style and accuracy to his/her technicaldocuments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

It's not JUST for technical writing
I'm a writer and I've read plenty (twenty?) books on writing, and this is the best. The title makes it seem more limiting than it is. Yes, the examples given in the book have to do with changing light bulbs and wiring circuits and whatnot, but the points made--about clarity, order, rhythm, and word choice--apply to every kind of writing you can think of, poetry included.
I strongly recommend this book to anybody interested in honing their skills, or even for going from bad to good.
It's a work book. It requires you to write your responses, then check for accuracy. I think the whole book takes under 20 hours to complete, and it's 20 hours well spent.
Even at new prices, it's a bargain. If you buy it used, ask the seller if it has been marked up (answers filled in) by the previous owner. Better to pay close to a hundred bucks for a fresh one than to spend ten or less for one you can't use. You could spend two hours erasing pencil answers, but...your time's got to be worth something, no?

The Best Book You'll Ever Buy for Clear Technical Writing
I bought my copy brand new ten years ago at the price of $26.95. I thought it was a high price to pay at the time, but after going through the exercises and improving my understanding of how to edit my work it was well worth the amount. I've referred to its guide lines quite often in my work as a technical writer and instructional designer. It is one of the best books to teach someone about minimilist writing. So if you have doubts about the high price, it is well worth the expense. I'm just glad I bought mine when I did.

Excellent book for teaching writing and editing
I've taught classes for writers and editors, and I've never seen so many good examples for improving writing. Brogan collects hundreds of examples that show how to simplify and clarify, usually by cutting superfluous words or by replacing ambiguous phrasing with something more specific. He shows writers how to write and editors how to edit. Furthermore, he doesn't ban the use of passive voice. What more can I ask of a book?

The used copy I purchased through Amazon (from Jabez Books) is in excellent condition. I first discovered [local store] book at [local area], where a tattered and marked-up copy sells for [money]. My copy cost [money]!

Great Book, Great Big Price
My first serious contact with technical editing (in particular, line-by-line editing of text) was through this very useful book. Its insights served me well for 20 years. It is probably used in college courses, where such high prices are common, but that doesn't excuse the excessively high price.

Easy to follow; Loaded with examples
This book is nicely laid out and easy to follow. I like the fact that there are a lot of examples given. This book covers all the issues most important the Tech Writers, such as, writing in an active voice, writing concisely, and proper punctuation.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was its exorbitant price. Seventy-eight dollars is a little excessive for a book with only 213 pages and written back in 1973! Fortunately, I was able to buy this book at a more reasonable price through Amazon Marketplace. ... Read more