Product Description

  Writing Skills for Technical Students, 6/e, is a self-paced book/workbook designed for the adult learner who needs a review of grammar and writing skills in order to write clearly and concisely on the job. It provides diagnosis, instruction, and practice in 15 instructional modules on grammar, paragraph writing, report writing, and business letter writing; each module includes instruction and practice in small segments with immediate feedback. Fundamental principles are applied throughout. For professionals needing to brush up on their grammar and writing skills.   

Product Description
Are you new to the field of technical writing? Put your technical or business document together easily by following my instructions in this primer. I have been a technical writer for twenty years and used a basic set of techniques that I tweaked and improved on over the years.I have worked in industries such as Information Technology, Financial, Manufacturing, Building, and Telecommunications.I know the quick document turn-a-rounds facing many of you without additional resources. This booklet will show you how to get started with the right questions to ask, how to get organized and more!

This e-booklet will get you through –
1. Preparation
a. Organizing your document
b. The components used in a technical document
2. Writing the document
a. Working with subject matter experts
b. Tips on writing
3. Follow-up
a. Some evaluation tips ... Read more

Product Description
Technical Communication: A Practical Approach 7e emphasizes one simple principle– you learn to write better by doing as much writing as possible. Using numbered guidelines and an ABC format, the book shows how to write a variety of technical documents and gets students practicing at the beginning of the book. This edition features new material on modular writing, a new chapter on collaborative writing and a comprehensive case study that reflects globalization and ethics issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

In Good Condition
On receiving my purchase, I was very pleased to see that the book was in great shape. The seller had informed me of all to expect with this certain book, and everything he/she said was true; nothing more, nothing less.

A solid textbook for learning technical communications
If I had to learn technical writing all over again, this would be the book I would choose.It is a relevant, clear, and comprehensive guide to technical writing processes, skills and practices. It includes numerous examples and exercises in each chapter. The discussions of ethical considerations and communicating with international audiences that appear throughout the text are important topics that are not often covered in other books. The broad range of document types and industries presented in the examples offer a good sense of the range of technical writing career opportunities. This book won't give you everything you need to know as a technical writer, but it will give you a good foundation. ... Read more

Product Description
Grounded in authentic workplace scenarios, the step-by-step approach of POWER TOOLS FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION prepares students for real world communication and workplace problem solving. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Up to date student level book at a library level price!
Daved McMurrey's 'Power Tools' contains 21 'openly-sequenced' chapters on a wide range of aspects of technical writing. Intended for use on an undergraduate level course, it assigns homework - sorry - Workshops with each chapter.
Many of the chapters are a bit basic, but this allows for inexperienced readers (explains how to use styles in word processor software, for instance).
Some of the writing is 'undergraduate' or 'highschool' e.g. "4. Do some research. To write even a simple comparison, you may need to do some research. If you did some research on voice-recognition software, you'd find advertisments ..."
In the book's favour, it is very up to date (2003), covering the Internet, e-mail and HTML.
Against it, the price (currently 80 USD)! I can't imagine that anyone listing this as a recommended course text would ever be able to talk to their students again.
To sum up, useful if you're new to technical writing and loaded!

Best technical writing book available
I've been teaching science and technical writing every semester for 17 years and have examined just about every text available. McMurrey's approach to organization, presentation and content make this the best book I can find for my students. It is the book I'd write. I swear McMurrey is in my head. I use the book in in-class and on-line courses to supplement my discussions. Power Tools contains a collection of common writing tools that form the core of all science and technical writing. Learn the tools with McMurrey's sensible approach and you improve your information gathering, thinking, organization and writing. The book is organized so I can assign chapters to fit my perception of the order in which I think students should learn. Numerous short exercises are built in or are available on a companion web site. If you are in a job that suddenly calls for technical writing, this book can help you develop skills by teaching you how to approach writing projects. Usually I have to throw out half a text because it contains materials not relevant to my courses. Not Power Tools.

Best technical writing text ever
I've been teaching science and technical writing every semester for 17 years and have examined just about every text available. McMurrey's approach to organization, presentation and content make this the best book I can find for my students. It is the book I'd write. I swear McMurrey is in my head. I use the book in in-class and on-line courses to supplement my discussions. Power Tools contains a collection of common writing tools that form the core of all science and technical writing. Learn the tools with McMurrey's sensible approach and you improve your information gathering, thinking, organization and writing. The book is organized so I can assign chapters to fit my perception of the order in which I think students should learn. Numerous short exercises are built in or are available on a companion web site. If you are in a job that suddenly calls for technical writing, this book can help you develop skills by teaching you how to approach writing projects. Usually I have to throw out half a text because it contains materials not relevant to my courses. Not Power Tools. ... Read more

Product Description
Grounded in the practices of ethical deliberation and civic action, this text creates a resource for helping technical and professional communication students and teachers implement service-learning projects in campus and larger communities. Designed for a wide-ranging audience, Service-Learning in Technical and Professional Communication address both advanced and beginning students and both veteran service-learning teachers and those trying it for the first time.The text begins with three chapters that define and explain the authors' approach to service-learning and develop a rhetorical toolbox for implementing this approach. The remainder of the book is loosely organized around the process of developing, executing, and evaluating service-learning projects. These "process" chapters teach rhetorical strategies, ethical concerns, genre conventions, and style principles in an integrated, contextualized way. Discussions of rhetoric and ethics are supplemented with heuristics for analyzing the larger cultural effects of service-learning projects. ... Read more

Product Description

This book is for any clinician who wants to write. It is for the physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner who sees patients and also wants to contribute to the medical literature. It is for the assistant professor aspiring to promotion and the clinician in private practice seeking the personal enrichment that writing can bring. Loaded with practical advice and real-world examples, this text will benefit readers who are new to medical writing and those who have authored a few articles or chapters and want to improve their abilities.

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book, must have for researcher clinicians
I found this book very helpful and fun to read. It gives you a structured approach to medical writing and includes very useful tips. It is a must have for rsidents and interns who are involved in research projects and expected to write up or at least participate in writing a study manuscript. This book gives you a short cut over the time and effort you may spend until you learn some basic writing skills. I highly recommend it.

Excellent book, must read!!
If you are a clinician and want to write articles for journals but don't have a clue as to how to start, your quest for guidance stops here! Reading this book is like someone sitting beside you and gently telling you what to do next. It contains chapters on writing all different kinds of articles: reporting original research, systematic reviews, clinical reviews, case reports, etc. Also, it goes into writing style and mistakes to avoid. Definitely a must read for the newcomer to medical writing! ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive reference for technical writers, editors, and documentation managers, Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry, Third Edition,has been revised and updated to cover everything from creating screencasts and referencing web sites to writing for wikis.

This award-winning guide to creating clear, consistent, and easy-to-understand documentation covers everything from grammar and writing style to typographic and legal guidelines. The authors, who are senior editors and writers at Sun Microsystems, share their extensive experience and provide practical tips and recommendations, including guidance on hiring writers, working with illustrators, managing schedules and workflow, and more.

The third edition of Read Me First features new chapters on:

• Writing for wikis and encouraging wiki collaboration
• Creating screencasts, using screencast terminology, and guidelines for writing narration
• Creating alternative text for nontext elements such as screen captures, multimedia content, illustrations, and diagrams

Customer Reviews (13)

Comprehensive Style Guide for Software Documentation
This is a great book that tackles every aspect of software documentation with enough detail to get you started. Read Me First gives the push you need to begin laying down your own styles. It also reviews some basic grammatical issues that you as a Technical Writer must be aware of. I would recommend using several style guides if your company doesn't already have one. The Microsoft Style Guide is another great reference to consider. Igave this book 5 stars because of its easy to read format.

Good book, poor binding
This book has a lot of useful information. It's a good companion for The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications. I like to underline and make margin notes but this book won't lie flat enough for these activities without ripping the binding. It has already fallen apart and I'm not even halfway through it. I tried to find a way to contact the publisher but searching for a few minutes found nothing.

excellent chapter about documents with links
Sun offers a style sheet for technical writers. These suggestions are used by Sun in its documents and are a very clean and internally consistent guide. Of course, it is not restricted to descriptions of Sun's products. A lot of care has gone into the guide.

Plus, the suggestions are not just for printed documents. Nowadays, a lot is expressed in languages with links, like HTML or PDF, and the advice pertains here too.

For illustrations, you are shown how to display interactable icons differently from non-interactable images. Subtleties, to be sure. But taking these into consideration makes for a clean document.

On the subject of documents with links, a chapter has cogent suggestions on the proper usage. Like avoiding overlinking, which is a common flaw amongst writers new to this. Also avoid linking with anchor text that is generic, like "click this". Instead, use more descriptive strings to help search engines classify the document that is pointed to. Assuming that both documents will be on the Web. But even if not, they might still be in your internal corporate web, and you might have an internal search engine spidering these. The strings will help the engine better classify both documents. This chapter may be the most vital of the book.

A good book gets even better in 2nd edition
The first edition of this style guide was good, especially if you wanted an alternative to the Microsoft Manual of Style, but this edition is even better. It covers a wider range of issues (for example, adding much information about writing online material), and covers them very well. In fact, the book goes a bit beyond style in an appendix on developing a publications department, but the topics covered are certainly relevant and valuable, so I'm glad they were included. I don't always agree with the style choices, but that's irrelevant; I've never seen any style guide I completely agree with. Overall, I'm so impressed with this book, I'm likely to use it as a textbook for teaching technical editors. As you can tell, I'm giving it the "highly recommended" stamp.

Super Reference Book for Creating a Company Writing Style
This is an excellent book to read if you are in the position of having to create any kind of writing style guides for the company you work for. The book's sections include one on writing style itself and why it is important, working with an editor, working wit illustrations, writing for an international audience, legal guidelines, the "mechanics of writing," creating an index, among others. The book makes some good points and provides an informative reference for writing style questions.

Two small points against it. The CD is difficult at times to use and the Recommended Reading section lists some books that are out of print. Time for an update perhaps?

However, it's still an excellent book to have when having to make decisions about your own company's writing style. When I had to write a Writing Style Guide as a class assignment, this book was one of the ones I used as a reference. ... Read more

Product Description
This invaluable resource guides engineers through the technical writing issues that they must know in order to succeed in the field. The third edition includes numerous new examples integrated throughout the chapters that illustrate content, organization, and format of different types of documents. New material on the useful aspects of passive voice is added, such as when the actor is known/obvious and when emphasis needs to be on the recipient of the action. Discussions are included on plagiarism, ethics, and citing material properly. In order to accomplish this, the IEEE system of documenting sources is presented. Engineers will also benefit from the startup help for using PowerPoint or other software for their presentations as well as strategies for using such materials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Must Get
This is a guurrreaat book if your an engineering student!If your like me and hate writing this will help you to at least get your formatting right for the vast amount of reports you're going to have to write in school and in an internship, co-op, or job.In my opinion the web has enough resources for the average person to utilize to write a correctly formatted report but nothing beats a book when it comes to quick, concise tips.

Pretty helpful book!
I was required to buy this book for my Technical Writing class but I was pleasantly surprised at how useful it was. I scored higher grades on the technical papers I wrote for my engineering classes because I learned the proper format and styles that you need to focus on. The little things...

Required for class, didn't open it
There were two required textbooks for my technical writing class, and this was the second, cheaper of the two.I am afraid to say this book went totally unused.

The information in the book is important, but the internet provides all the information covered in this book as well as being more current.

No hassles whatsoever
Everything went smoothly and without any hitches.There was no contact which is exactly how its supposed to be.

Good for engineers, terrible for technical writing instructors
This handbook provides a decent, quick-and-dirty introduction to technical communication for engineers . It does a good job of dealing with letters and oral presentations (though it does not discuss how to create a good slideshow--just the actual presenting itself). For engineers, then, I give this book three stars.

For technical writing instructors like myself, however, it is almost worthless, and deserves one star.

The main problems which I have with this book include:
* A lack of example documents;
* Some very bland, colorless formatting (though this is better, I suppose, than the unnecessary pyrothechnics to be found, for example, in the Lannon book);
* Virtually nothing is provided for technical writing students who are not themselves going into engineering;
* The advice provided by this book on most topics is extremely minimal. For example, there is a mere four pages on tables, with most formatting advice appearing as a bulleted list with no illustrative examples.

If you are an engineer who wants a cheap and simple introduction to some basic documents, this book will fill the bill--barely. If you are looking for a technical writing textbook to teach with, however, or if you will be writing a wide variety of sophisticated engineering documents and presentations for demanding audiences, then this is not the book for you. For such people, I would instead suggest the 8th edition of Mike Markel's Technical Communication. Alternately, one could buy this book ALONG WITH Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu's Handbook of Technical Writing so as to get fuller writing advice, a large number of sample documents, and so on.

Either way, this book does not impress. ... Read more

Product Description

Part of the Allyn & Bacon series in technical communication, Writing Software Documentation features a step-by-step strategy to writing and describing procedures.   This task-oriented book is designed to support both college students taking a course and professionals working in the field. Teaching apparatus includes complete programs for students to work on and a full set of project tracking forms, as well as a broad range of examples including Windows-style pages and screens and award-winning examples from STC competitions.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Documentation Made Easy
Book gives a great step-by-step guide on how to prepare documentation for the computer industry.

Probably useful, but...
Given the price I paid for the book, I expected something better than a Docutech print-out of hard copy. The least they could have done was run the electronic files through the Docutech (a high-end copier) so that the screen captures showed up a little better than fuzzy.

The other problem I had was the lack of anything approaching a professional touch in the layout and design of the book. The person or persons who laid out the book did a poor to mediocre job of it at best. Given the subject matter -- writing software documentation -- I would have expected the author and publisher to put even *some* effort into creating a useful visual language. As it is, there may well be useful, important information in the text, but the design of the book is so poor, I'll be damned if I can track it down.

Excellent Academic Approach to Documentation
This book is an excellent academic approach to software documentation. It is an excellent manual on writing documentation and includes all of the academic steps to reach that goal. However, it gets a slight bit heavy on details and strays from the actual performance. In other words, you may have to ignore or not use much of what is contained in the book because of individual practices and peculiarities in the various industries. I do recommend it as an overall view of the process and will be useful for beginners to the profession.

A difficult book to use
I have to use this book in a technical writing course and I find it difficult to use and read, especially if you are new to the field.

The formatting and layout of the book makes it easy to lose track of which section you are in (using a numbering system to identify sections would be helpful) and it needs more white space.The author tends to be verbose at times and this also helps to "lose" the reader.

A short answer or multiple choice question section would be useful to help in review of material covered in a chapter.

The index seems somewhat sparse and a "master" glossary at the end would be useful.

A Must-Have for Technical Writers!
I had taken a course in Technical Communication for which this book was a recommended-read. After going through the chapters, I must say that this is an excellent guide for anyone who documents software.

The book takes a task-oriented approach and lists some great pointers. It gives you a step-by-step process for analyzing users, learning a software program, and writing the documentation; teaches you the basics of page and screen design, and even helps you understand the software users better.

This is the only *readable*(cover-to-cover) technical writing book that I have come across. Definitely a great buy!
... Read more

Product Description
From persuasive memos to complaint letters, sales letters to executive summaries -- this exceedingly useful guide helps the business worker write clearly and in an appropriate format, style and tone. Numerous examples show how to overcome writer's block, organize messages for maximum impact, achieve an easy-to-read style, find an efficient writing system and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Effective Business Writing
I find this book very helpful. I feel it is very important to stay abreast of the "latest" information about effective writing in the business world as it does change frequently.

Go to book
I bought several similar reference books at the time of this purchase.Effective Business Writing is my go-to book, my first choice, and usually all I need.

Great reference book - - timely, too!
This is a well-written, carefully organized book that belongs on desks across America!Topics covered include organizing before writing, overcoming writer's block, suiting letters to complex situations, and usinggrammar and punctuation properly.If I had to provide one criticism, itwould only be that the book is too short!As a reader, I didn't tire ofthe useful sample letters and would have happily read more and more.Agreat reference for the tentative writer and a good refresher for seasonedwriters, as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This book could have used a technical writer
You will be better off googling the phrase 'Technical Writing' than buying this book.

1) Inaccessible layout and organization:

The book is a loose cobbling together of some cut-and-paste material about the Dante's tests, 50 or 60 practice tests, and a few dozen unattributed excerpts from teachers manuals. The book does not contain an index, nor a table of contents, and rarely contains page numbers. As a result of being a collection of other sources, the pages are formatted with inconsistent margins, inconsistent fonts, and meaningless headings.

2) Unhelpful content:

Approximately 80% of the book is composed practice of tests. To a certain extent, these tests lend the book a redeeming quality that could have justified giving it a 3-star or higher rating. Unfortunately, the tests only contain an answer key. None of the answers of the answers are explained, which leaves the reader wondering why some answers are correct. As a result, these tests cannot increase the readers comprehension of technical writing.

I would recommend finding other resources to help you prepare for the Dante's test.

Very unhelpful book
I bought this as an aid to the DSST Technical Writing exam. It is not a helpful book. I passed the exam with a 67, but only because I gave up on this and turned to some books and websites that were actually geared for teaching someone how to do technical writing.

1. This book is very dated (even though the front says copyright 2007). There was, for instance, a section on how to write telegrams! The font looked very dated too. So it raised questions in my mind as to whether some things the book said were really right for today's society.

2. It is NOT geared very well to the actual test. There were a LOT of concepts that this book kept pounding on that were not even covered on the real exam.

3. There is very little explanation in the book about the specifics of various types of technical communications. There is a brief overview in the back of the book but it is not detailed enough to be of much help. It was a nice skeleton introduction but didn't give me anywhere near the amount of detail I needed for the actual exam.

4. There are no explanations of answers to the practice tests--simply an answer key. This makes it difficult to know WHY an answer is right or wrong--you have to simply rote memorize things.

5. For a book that is supposed to teach you about writing clearly, I thought this book was a poor example. There isn't even an index--every time you want to find something you have to flip-flip-flip through the book trying to find the section. No glossary either.

Overall, I found this a very poor study aid. Buy a book about technical writing or google the topic--don't waste your money on this one.

When life hands you lemons...
I must admit that when I received this item I was not impressed by its appearance, and the copy that I purchased was new! However, after getting over my initial dissatisfaction, I was able to make of it what I could. This item is, almost entirely, composed of practice exams. As such; I immediately circled all of the appropriate answers based on the answer key provided at the end of each chapter. I then spent about four hours reading the practice questions and the correct answers several times through. I also read the brief summary of the course provided at the end of the packet. Without any further study material or time devoted to the subject, I passed the exam on the first attempt by a fairly substantial margin. I will not take another exam without first repeating this process with similar packets for other subjects. If nothing else, I would recommend purchasing this product as a backup plan in case the opportunity to properly prepare for the exam does not present itself, as was the case in my situation.

Excellent product
I used this book to study andpass the DSST exam, excellent aid for study

Great Review Book
I bought this book wondering if it would be good or not.I was really happy to find that it was a great help and made me feel like I spent my money well. It was much more organized than any other study guide that I had purchased. I will recommend this book to anyone that is taking the Technical Writing Dante Test and needing a good study guide.. ... Read more

Product Description
For technical professionals in all fields, a practical guide to enhancing communication, interpersonal, and managerial skills

Flatter, more collaborative organizational structures, combined with the pressure to translate innovative ideas into action quickly, are increasing the need by technical professionals-such as computer programmers, design specialists, engineers, and R&D scientists-to expand their repertoire of communication and managerial skills. In this highly accessible and practical book, Harry Chambers offers a wealth of strategies and tactics for building these skills, to the benefit of individuals, teams, and companies. In his trademark shoot-from-the-hip style, Chambers identifies specific real-world challenges that technical professionals face in the workplace, and offers definitive guidelines for enhancing their communication skills-from making presentations to giving and receiving criticism to navigating office politics. Featuring interviews with people in the trenches, as well as self-assessment tools and exercises, Effective Communication Skills will become a valued resource for technical professionals and their colleagues, trainers, and HR departments in all industries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Excellent shipping service!
The seller was extremely quick in sending my book and I was very pleased to work with such professional and prompt people. Thank you very much!!! Would definitely buy from you again.

Easy read, good info
I found this book to flow well, giving a lot of good tips on how to conduct better communications in a business/commercial environment.The layout is fairly simple to navigate, and sections that are uninteresting can easily be skipped.For those with more constrained time schedules, the book contains notes in most sections that give highlights of the main points that are made.Reading just these notes would give a pretty good review of the material, or exposure that may or may not make a lasting impression.

There are quite a few lists and tables that sum up the "need-to-know" points, so I think that reviewing material after reading the full text should be an easy task.I highly recommend this text for anyone that has never been taught effective listening skills, and also recommend the book for anyone else that feels even a slight motivation to improve their inter-personal communication skills.

More than just for business
I gave copies of this book to everyone I managed at Microsoft. I can't say enough good things about it. There is nothing more important in the workplace than being able to get your point across and making sure you understand what is being said to you. The basic philosophy is, "all communication failures are your fault." It is your responsibility to make sure that what you are saying is understood, and it is your responsibility to make sure that you understand what you are being told. There is never a place for finger-pointing when communication breaks down. This book gives techniques, examples, and ideas to help ensure that information is transmitted and received properly. What's really interesting is that there is nothing that limits what he's talking about to the workplace.There are things to think about here that apply to dealing with family and friends, without the fluff you get in similar books in the self-help section.

Lots of advice for every day use
This book explains the difficulties in the communication among technical persons as well as between technical and non-technical persons. From my own experience I know that talking to technical experts can be very painful. At times they just shout at you and don't listen to what you say. They think that their expertise gives them the right to treat everyone else bad.

The best chapter in this book is chapter 4 "giving and receiving criticism". In the past I had difficulties to convey my critical comments
to technical experts and software developer. As they are very proud of their own work you need to take a lot of care not hurt them. The best way is to explicity state what they have done good before you say what they could do better to even improve their work. I am sure that I can apply these tipps in my work place

This book ist must-read for everyone in a technical environment and for everyone dealing with technical experts.

Solid Content
Mr. Chambers has put together a practical book that dissects many of the basic concepts of communication, and provides some insights about technical professionals.While I don't agree with all his points and believe he tends to over-generalize, the content is solid and easy to understand.For any technical professional looking to increase their overall mastery of soft skills, I would recommend they go beyond this book and find a good set of workshops that allow for testing and practicing the types of concepts outlined. ... Read more

Product Description
This self-help guide is intended for scientific and medical professionals and students who wish to improve their scientific writing skills. Exercises invite the reader to practice the most important aspects of scientific writing. Although the book addresses certain issues more troublesome to scientific communicators of a non-English language origin, the guide will be of equal benefit to those whose first language is English. If you do not only want to write but want to write well, this book is for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Presentation must be user friendly!
I bought this book with great anticipation.So, I was extremely disappointed when I received it and found that the layout and design was hideous. For some reason, the editors (the author had no say in the matter) decided to
place crucial information in text boxes/tables with a dark blue background on which they used BLACK letters = I could not read the material at all.And for such an expensive book, there was...unbelievably...NO INDEX.I would have greatly preferred just a black and white layout with judicious use of fonts, sizes and styles and REDUNDANCY of information, plus a nice, detailed index.

It is a shame that the editors sabotaged the author's work, since she really does know a lot about scientific
writing.But I cannot recommend the book as it stands now for any of my Japanese scientists who need to know
what is in it.For anyone interested, there is still a significant need for a book targeting Japanese researchers, scientists, and physicians who need to report their findings in international journals in English.I think these two editors at Springer Verlag should learn the meaning of USER FRIENDLY.They really dropped the ball on this book. The first rule for an editor is "Know your audience!"They don't have a clue or they just don't care.Extracting the important information is like pulling teeth.No thank you!I wasted my money.

Paul Langman, PhD
Medical Writer with over 1000 published manuscripts by his clients = 93%+ success rate!
... Read more

Product Description

Writing Basics for the Healthcare Professional  is based on the writing needs of students in allied health fields. A wide variety of students will benefit from the "can do" approach of this worktext. The answers for most of the exercises are at the end of the text. Proofreading and revision exercises help develop critical thinking skills in writing and a keen eye for written work. Whether English is the student's first language or not, this work text teaches the basic writing skills necessary to commubnicate effectively in the field.

Product Description
In recent years Extensible Markup Language (XML) has had a major impact on software development and data interchange and has begun to have a similar effect in technical communication. XML provides a platform-independent, vendor-neutral source language for publishing documentation of all kinds and in any output format. XML solutions have already been adopted by many technical publication departments, while others are poised to make the move to XML. Authoring tools, publishing tools and content management systems are providing support for XML languages, in particular Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA), one of the XML languages designed specifically for technical documentation.Increasingly, technical communicators therefore need to understand what XML has to offer and how it can be used in the various areas of technical communication. This book fills an important gap in the market by providing a broad introduction to XML and its role in technical communication. It describes the basics of XML syntax and terminology, the use of XML in technical communication and the advantages it can bring to the production of technical documentation of all types. It introduces the key XML languages that are used for technical documentation, both as documentation source formats and for transforming source documents to various output formats. The book will be invaluable to anyone who needs a fast introduction to XML and its role in technical communication, such as those whose organization is deploying an XML-based documentation solution, or freelancers who need to keep pace with technical trends. It caters for technical communicators of all levels of markup language experience, providing a comprehensive yet easy to read overview of the use of XML in technical communication, as well as references to more in-depth material.This revised and updated second edition now includes a section about S1000D, the international specification for the production of technical publications that is widely used in the aerospace and defence industries. Other additions include more information about how XML facilitates common technical communication tasks and more material about DocBook.Charles Cowan FISTC is a Principal Technical Writer with the Oracle Corporation. He has worked as a technical communicator for over a quarter of a century, developing documentation for various clients and software companies in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, as well as in the UK and Ireland. He is an IBM Certified Developer in XML and Related Technologies and holds postgraduate qualifications in computing and software development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

What I expected
Everything went out fine.

I was familiar with the book (ISTC is a quality stamp)
and the expectations were fulfilled.




Rui Serra
APCOMTEC

Excellent Resource for XML!
This book is an excellent overview of how XML is used in technical communication - it really put things into perspective for me.

The book is very well written and organized, guiding the reader through the history of XML, through the key concepts of XML, and the XML markup languages that are relevant to the technical communication profession today. There's a great chapter on the options for authoring XML, and the chapter covering DITA is very useful for gaining an understanding of how powerful DITA is, and and how it makes reuse of content easier.Now I understand what all the fuss about DITA is about!

I really enjoyed the chapter about XML and localization too - we hear a lot about how XML can save money in localization projects - this chapter explains how.The glossary is particularly goodtoo - I haven't seen anything similar elsewhere that provides such a comprehensive set of definitions.

Whether you're a novice, or have already worked with XML, you will find this book very valuable.

Excellent guide for technical writers interested in fully leveraging XML
Disclaimer: Charles Cowan (the author) and I are technical writers at Oracle, although we work in different divisions on different continents, and, in fact, have never met. I came across this book recently through my studies at graduate school and not through any association at Oracle. My review is based solely on that experience.

"XML in Technical Communication" is an excellent source for anyone who wants to learn about XML and how it can be leveraged in the world of technical writing. An easy read that's well-written and organized, this book is especially useful and suited for writers who are new to XML. If you've never heard of DocBook or DITA, or if you have but want to learn more, this book is for you (for writers with some knowledge and experience with XML, this book may fill in many knowledge gaps, as it did for me). The book provides a detailed (but not too detailed) history of XML as well as a solid review of its technical underpinnings and current implementations. I've been working with XML in a technical writing capacity for over 10 years, and spent four of those years working with Arbortext Epic Editor and the DocBook DTD (both discussed in this book). Still, I had much to learn. Highly recommended.

The best in its kind
The book was worth the long wait and search. I believe it would cater to beginers. It eases the big jigsaw by putting in perspective the various aspects of creation, storing and processing of XML and DITA. The parts on SVG was a bonus.
However, I do wish that the author had delved into some more technical details, with an extended scope. Tutorials would have been very helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
Filled with practical business writing exercises and activities, this workbook covers basic organizational skills, clear and concise writing, spelling, punctuation tips, and much more. The focus is on ways to edit, tone, and clarify business memos, letters, and reports.

Learning Objectives:To give techniques for spelling accuracy.To discuss punctuation and capitalization rules.To explain principles of usage.To suggest ways to write memos, letters, and reports. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Valuable skill builder
This workbook proved to be an excellent source for building business writing skills.Covers not only how to put a letter or memo together, but also punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.Highly recommend! ... Read more

Product Description
This easy-to-use primer lays out 135 principles of clear writing, dictation, tone, grammar, syntax, organization, and format. Filled with before-and-after examples and illustrations from the legal world, the book is both a welcome refresher for the practicing lawyer and an indispensable reference for anyone in the legal profession. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I recommed it to my students
I am a law professor and this is the one book about legal writing I recommend to my students. However, please note that this book is not a textbook.There are better textbooks to teach [and learn] analytical thinking, persuasive writing and legal research.What this book provides is a great quick reference guide to some of the most common problems in writing in general and legal writing in particular.The book is well organized and concise.The material is organized around short rules and for every rule there are good examples of poor writing and suggestions on how to improve it.

Accurate but dry.
Go ahead and use this book as a reference. Skim it once in a while to refresh your memory about correct legal style. But don't sit down and read it straight through, as I did. I found it slow going and dry.

Not bad, but nothing new
This book is one of many on legal writing.The information usually stays the same even though the titles change.It would be a good start for an attorney with little background in writing.But if you've read other books on legal writing, pass this one by.

Along Came A Legal Writer
THE ELEMENTS OF LEGAL WRITING nowadays are clear, simple everyday language avoiding lawyerisms and following standard grammar and word order. Computer and word processing graphic design and typeface breakthroughs make how documents look important: text in attractively manageable chunks, such as paragraphs each generally running no longer than about 1/4-1/2 of the page, and with descriptive headings, footnotes and transitions prioritizing orderly presentation of ideas and respecting the visually balancing role of white space. Authors Martha Faulk and Irving M Mehler review effective format, grammar, organization, tone, and word order choices. Their book would interest readers of Clarice R Cox and Jerrold G Brown's REPORT WRITING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS, THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB, Barbara Frazee and Joseph N Davis' PAINLESS POLICE REPORT WRITING, and Don MacLeod's THE INTERNET GUIDE FOR THE LEGAL RESEARCHER ... Read more

Product Description
Teaches how to recognize common errors instantly by describing what those errors are, in simple & clear terms & to convey the basic principles of good writing.Paper.DLC; English language Rhetoric. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

I bought this book four times so far! Aren't you curious about my reasons?
Lyn, oh Darling Lyn, words can't describe you and your verbal prowess...

Sorry, wrong site.

*coughs*

I first stumbled onto this book in 2000 at the Stanford University bookstore. I knew I needed help with my writing skills and so I set out to find a book on English grammar that would be both helpful and readable. I bought a few books that day, none of which I can remember today.

This book is exceptional. Let me tell you just how exceptional it is.

My ex-wife has my first copy of that book, I bought another for her to give to her university overseas, and then I bought a third copy of this book. After our separation, I discovered that copy was also missing. Another ex-girlfriend, smartie that she is, heard of my plight while I was reminiscing about it in a half-delusional state of mind and gave it to me as a Valentine's day gift.

Please understand that I was reminiscing about a grammar book in a half-delusional state of mind. I am not even an English major! I am a computer expert.

What makes this book so special? I was doing a refresher earlier this morning and easily read through the first 200 pages in one setting.

Can you make such a claim about any other textbook? I would be curious to read that book. In fact, CNE Study Guide by David C. Clarke would be my other recommendation for you if you like to mix humor with your learning.

This book is not what I would consider lazy reading material. You will derive more value from this book if you mentally apply what you just learned to the "Bad" examples until you can construct "Splendid" prose. Lyn leaves the transformation of examples as an exercise to her reader.

Whether you love Lyn's style or hate it, you will remember her advice. Her examples are fun and funny. She is an expert copy editor. Her book transfers that expertise with surprising ease.

Oh, and it is not all about cats and personal relationships that make you close your eyes and reminisce. She talks about Malamutes and other dog breeds too!

Is this review grammatically perfect? I make no such claims. If you wish to write prose that is truly fun to read, such as this overly indulgent review, then you should definitely buy this book. It is exceptionally useful.

I bought this book four times. That earns it 20 stars!

Very useful and easy to digest
This book was very useful to me, as a non-native English speaker, when I started writing technical texts in graduate school. It contains many short recipe-like chapters, each one about a particular topic. The typesetting is unusual, and some find it distracting, although I think it's a nice touch.

I keep it on my desk all the time
I have Lyn's book already for a couple of years. I loved reading it beacuse of the wit with which she brings her message. And of course, I like cats. I use it regularly as a reference work. There may be issues in which Lyn is overdoing, but on the other hand most of the advice is useful. This holds in particular for those for which English is not their first language. Many traps in English are discussed and good and bad examples are given to learn from.

Good book ... I think!
I think I was hoping for more of a casual read than a text book with a twist.As a writer, I find these kids of books interesting.This was no exception.It does help to further refine how we should be writing.Unfortunately, most people do not pay enough attention to how the speak or write.So, this book is a help in that regard.

I'm not sure why I don't feel it deserves 5 stars.Possibly because there are some parts in which the examples are rather confusing.The other is because the quality of the book - i.e., the paper it's printed on - makes it seem like a newspaper that you would read and toss.

Now, before all you "fans" get your panties into a wad, take into account that this is just my opinion.I suggest that if you want to purchase this book, use the "Look Inside" feature and make sure it's for you.

Some of these reviewers are snobs.
Some of these reviewers are snobs. I'm referring to the first review in this listing, which probably got high scores just because it is so long. Should we be surprised that a computer science professor doesn't like books that have a personal touch? Should we also be surprised that such a professor criticizes the author for not using Latex, the favorite of computer science people but probably nobody else?

The book is not perfect but for a college graduate looking to avoid a lot of writing landmines, this book is a fine thing and has a lot of practical advantages over such classics as Elements of Style. ... Read more

Product Description
Effective business writing rests on a foundation of basic principles. Master them, and you'll know how to handle the many different writing tasks that come your way. This book will help you organize and edit your message for maximum impact. "The Pocket Mentor" series offers immediate solutions to common challenges managers face on the job every day. Each book in the series is packed with handy tools, self-tests and real life examples to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and hone critical skills. Whether you're at you desk, in a meeting, or on the road, these portable guides enable you to tackle the daily demands of your work with greater speed, savvy, and effectiveness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Business Writing Handbook
Use as one of the college business writing books. Small and good enough to carry as a travel reference.

The Prof. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the aims and format of biological writing, designed primarily for undergraduates but also useful for postgraduate students preparing dissertations or journal contributions. This is a self-help manual offering straightforward solutions to common problems, and an overview of the diversity of writing tasks faced by professional biologists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Complicated Review
The book was in perfect condition and arrived during quoted time period..however the edition was not claimed on the site so I assumed it was the newest one; however, I was mistaken and bought the wrong book.

Horrible!..worth NO STARS!
I ordered this product May 13, 2009 and i still haven't received it as of today, June 13, 2009.A MONTH..let's get serious i needed this book for a class and now the class is ending this coming week.Thanks for nothing!!!

Good Guide
This is a good guide to write papers. It is a little hard to follow but I do recommend this book. This guide was recommended to by my Marine Ecology professor.

bio book
When you have to get a text book, amazon is an economical way to get one instead of the university book store. This arrived in 2 days and in good shape. I will look for books here every semester

The confusing world of biological science gets more confusin
Now, granted that I did not experience the world of biological science writing before "the McMillan book", but by all that's ecological, people find this book HELPFUL?The academic world must have been a whole lot more chaotic than I can imagine before McMillan wrote her book, because damn, I can't imagine a more confusing text that is supposed to help students.Sure, McMillan provides examples of how to cite and write (to name a few examples) a research paper, but every time I'm looking for a specific bit of information I can't find what I'm looking for!I'm pretty careful about throwing around the phrase "I hate", but every time I look at this book I can feel the rage and frustration rise inside of me.Helpful.SURE it is. ... Read more