Handbook of Technical Writing by Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alfred, and Walter E. Oliu (review)

Book Reviews129 Thus, by not separating the formation of sentences from their semantic interpretations (as Classical Theory does) Bowers brings more insight into the interrelatedness of the various components of linguistic structure and proposes several new directions which are sure to be objects of fruitful discussion in the future. BARBARA A. LAFFORD Arizona State University Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alfred, and Walter E. Oliu. Handbook o/ Technical Writing. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976. 571p. This is a comprehensive handbook for technical or professional writing. The authors have different but complementary areas of expertise which give their handbook an added perspective: a professional writer for a large corporation, a writer for a government agency, and a university professor of business and technical writing. Grammar, usage, style, format, and writing procedures are supplemented by information on reports, proposals, instructions, specifications, job descriptions, letters, and other types of technical communications. Geared to solutions for specific writing problems, the major portion of the book is arranged in encyclopedic format, composed of more than 500 entries in alphabetic order which are prescriptive and oriented toward definitions and problem solving practical examples. To further aid in using the handbook other sections provide further cross-referencing capabilities: Index, Topical Key to Alphabetical Entries, and Checklist of the Writing Process. The section on the writing process includes "Five Steps to Successful Writing" which concisely presents: 1. Preparation, 2. Research, 3. Organization, 4. Writing the Draft, 5. Revision. The topical key categorizes the important areas of the book. Included are: Types of Technical Writing; Planning and Research; Organization, Writing and Revision; Format and Illustrations; Language and Style; Paragraphs, Sentences, Clauses, and Phrases; Parts of Speech, Inflection and Agreement; and Punctuation and Mechanics. There is an impressive bibliography of 70 entries ranging from general handbooks to professional books on businessand technical writing. The adequate index provides yet another cross referencing aid for the user. The major handbook section includes an excellent entry on the resume which includes helpful examples. Another valuable entry covers technical writing style, referring to the effective introduction, good organization, sentence variety, the use of heads, and illustrations. The two-paragraph example illustrates the well-defined format which helps "the reader keep track of where the writer is going." A section on writing a journal article covers helpful suggestions regarding the format for a journal publication, the title, and specific guidelines to follow for each type of journal focus. Several examples differentiate among professional requirements. This handbook is a valuable contribution to understanding technical writing. However, as the authors indicate, this book is intended primarily for both the technical writing instructor and the student. For use as a textbook, other books are recommended for supplementing this handbook. Handbook of Technical Writing is another fine attempt to provide specific information regardingtechnical and professional writing. ANN MARGARET SLANINA Missouri Southern State College ...