http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Reviews/Technical-Writing A listing of the most recently indexed works about Articles and Reviews and Technical Writing in the field of technical communication (and technical writing). en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Reviews/Technical-Writing http://tc.eserver.org/32093.html http://tc.eserver.org/32093.html A very brief review of the first edition of Edmond H. Weiss’s How to Write a Usable User Manual. http://tc.eserver.org/29396.html http://tc.eserver.org/29396.html In the Nurnberg Funnel: Designing Minimalist Instruction, John Carroll presents some helpful ideas based on some useful research on how the initial self-instruction (often called 'tutorials') should be developed and written. http://tc.eserver.org/28827.html http://tc.eserver.org/28827.html Kathy Bowrey's Law and Internet Cultures critically deconstructs the law in the context of legal culture, and especially looks at how U.S. law, practice, and culture has influenced technology law. Bowrey, a lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales, writes as an "Australian author" but her analysis clearly contains a global perspective as she looks to global structures and laws in other countries such as the United States. The book's analysis draws upon an incredibly broad range of literature including but not limited to traditional "literature" (e.g., Orwell's 1984), economic analysis, communications theory, and cultural studies. She stretches her analysis, connecting the heretofore disconnected (like Foucault, Coombe, Mandeville's travels, Napster, Grokster, etc.) and makes these horizontal connections in the context of discussions of verticality--like globalization, international standards, international patent norms, and global governance. The reading will be difficult for folks without a solid background in information technologies and law (and is just plain difficult for reasons mentioned below), but Bowrey does provide at least brief definitions and description of acronyms where need be. She tends to begin chapters with details and then brings things together at chapter's end--but this strategy seems to work for the complex subject matter. This is a great book for reading out of order or skipping to particularly relevant sections. Each section of each chapter can hold together on its own. Numerous diagrams and illustrations add to the flavor of this unique and much-needed book. http://tc.eserver.org/27599.html http://tc.eserver.org/27599.html Write Your Way to Riches gives you comprehensive, step-by-step details on how to make money as a technical writer. Technical writing is one of the highest paid writing professions, and it's easy to get into. http://tc.eserver.org/26068.html http://tc.eserver.org/26068.html Microsoft is one of the largest software companies in the world. Thus, with their rich experience in documentation it is only natural that they share it with the rest of the IT industry. The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, Third Edition (MSTP) is the latest step in this direction and takes care of latest technologies and technical terms. http://tc.eserver.org/22435.html http://tc.eserver.org/22435.html The elements of technical writing includes a basic definition of technical writing--'writing about subjects in technical disciplines'--as well as a high-level outline of the book. Few prefaces contain as thorough a summary of changes as Pearsall offers. The summary of changes in this second edition acknowledges the necessity for current information in the changing technical writing arena, listing several specific changes from the first edition. http://tc.eserver.org/22361.html http://tc.eserver.org/22361.html Rebecca E. Burnett covers all the topics you'd expect in an introductory textbook for technical communicators. And she covers them thoroughly. http://tc.eserver.org/22275.html http://tc.eserver.org/22275.html Haile argues that 'books on technical writing often ignore the problems writers face in presenting equations and the problems readers face in decoding them.' That's often true. And, just as Edward Tufte's books show a passion for truth in statistical charts, Haile's analyses and prescriptions demonstrate how much he cares about clearing away the clutter that stands between readers and the underlying science. http://tc.eserver.org/22224.html http://tc.eserver.org/22224.html As with previous editions, the editors have done a marvelous job. This is the type of book that every writer should have. As I stated before, it is not a how-to-write book, but more of a 'tools for writing' book. I find myself referring to it often when I'm thinking of how to pronounce a specific word or how to go about putting together a proposal, abstract or white paper, or even how to interview an engineer or programmer for information about a product I'm documenting. http://tc.eserver.org/22222.html http://tc.eserver.org/22222.html I would recommend this book to subject matter experts who lack writing expertise. The exercises and examples are especially beneficial to lone writers who often do not have an expert writer nearby to review their writing. http://tc.eserver.org/22101.html http://tc.eserver.org/22101.html If you're a professional technical communicator who is interested in gleaning a few tidbits of knowledge for yourself, while simultaneously preparing witty answers to the questions asked of you by those who don't know anything about the things you do, you might want to add a yellow or orange book to your bookshelf. You wouldn't be completely dumb or idiotic if you did. http://tc.eserver.org/22017.html http://tc.eserver.org/22017.html When I first picked up <i>Reporting Technical Information,</i> I thought from the title it was going to be a primer on writing technical reports. Instead, this book turned out to be a basic, though somewhat better than average, textbook on technical writing.