0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Good Stuff, 2008-09-27
I'm taking an internet class in this topic and the book has been an excellent source of material to go along with it.
5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
I guess the clue is in the title, 2006-02-20
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...
0 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Well, it's just another book..., 2005-01-14
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!
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Strong on content, but a bit weak in presentation., 2003-01-17
As an experienced technical writer already, I bought this book as a general desk reference. It has been a helpful guide when I needed to check something in particular, but I would not use it as a "course textbook" if I was learning the trade.Generally, the content is excellent - it covers all the basics a novice tech writer needs to know. However, I question the way the content has been organized and presented... it doesn't follow a logical order. There's a section on editing, then a section on brainstorming and figuring out how to start writing, and then later on it swings back to proofreading. Ideally, the information should be presented the same way the writing process generally works: brainstorming, writing the first draft, THEN proofing/editing, and so on.
I also found the short section on "preparing the technical brief" inadequate, considering planning and scoping out requirements is THE most important phase of any documentation project. And for some reason, this information is buried in the "understanding your reader" section, when it should be a separate section all its own (as information about your audience forms only PART of a project plan).
The author has included a few too many personal experiences in this book - understandably she wanted to inject some fun into what could be pretty dry reading material, but her style sometimes comes off as too "cute".
Overall, this book contains a lot of excellent content - the structure and presentation just need to be re-tooled for maximum effectiveness.
10 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
Dummy, 2002-11-27
The title of this book should read "The Autobiography of a Technical Writer." Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts' career, although auspicious indeed, is not what I was looking for in a manual. I became so exhausted reading her personal triumphs that I decided not to become a technical writer. The book contains nothing of substance, nor does it give any pertinent information on the realities of skills necessary (less "soft skills")for a junior writer to crack the program-specific job market.