Books
Advice on Writing for Engineers The first message of the communications specialist should not be to Authors should plan come up with a good bibliography at "How to Write and Publish Engiwriting time but rather at the earliest neering Papers and Reports" by their writing task possible moment in the project. And Herbert B. Michaelson, program adI think Michaelson wholly underesministrator of trade journal publicaas seriously as they timates the task of reading and untions at IBM, is a wise, up-to-date, and derstanding references (in relation to concise but comprehensive book on do any other part the work that is under way) and what a subject highly important to engineers. It is a systematic effort to be of a technical project that understanding is likely to do to a project. If there are problems in practical and useful, with its 22 generating a good bibliography at tightly written chapters, each of whose headings begins with "How "How to Write and Publish Engi- writing time, the project is not likely to . .." It also is error-free, well in- neering Papers and Reports" by to have been well enough conceived troduced, well summarized, and Herbert B. Michaelson, ISI Press, to survive the rigors of editorial relogically organized. 3501 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. view. One may ask who actually would 19104, 1982, 158 pages, $17.95 in Michaelson usefully stresses both buy a book like this—the engineer- hardback and $11.95 in paperback the similarities and the differences ing student for a course in technical among reports, theses, and manuwriting or the working engineer Edward F. Leonard, who has been scripts intended for publication in (either one with a general interest in teaching chemical engineering at Co-several different types of journals. He self-improvement) or an engineer lumbia University for the past 25 years,discusses the common components of suddenly confronted with a big and has published about 80 engineering papers engineering communications: abscary writing job? What do such and has prepared the technical writingstract, introduction, body of the text, people need—an overview of how to instructions used by Columbia's under-and concluding section. Again and communicate well and an aid to or- graduates in chemical engineering again, he stresses the author's need, ganizing that task, a discussion of the when writing, to keep the reader individuals (from coauthors to ediwell in mind and to satisfy others tors and reviewers) who must be (such as a supervisor, professor, or dealt with along the path to publi- environment can provide, test seg- editor) who will judge his efforts. He cation, examples of good and bad ments of the text as they evolve, re- touches on style—not comprehenwriting, a guide to specific aids vise, and hang in there through the sively, but enough to suggest that the (ranging from style manuals to ravages of editorial review. He says general rules for good writing should "smart" word processing terminals), well enough much that is, after all, be specially adapted for technical or just simple reassurance about the conventional. However, only a communication. This is a truth that is task they face? shrewd veteran would give the ex- taught too few engineering stuThis short book manages to offer traordinary (entirely appropriate) dents. much that is fine in each of these emphasis that he does to the matter With the methods of writing curcategories. But it deals primarily with of selecting coauthors, stressing both rently in profound transition, Mithe broad objectives of writing and the political necessities of extending chaelson emphasizes the attractivepublishing and, despite numerous credit to associates and the problems ness and ease of composition at a examples, does not tell enough about that can arise if a coauthor is not computer terminal. He briefly dethe detailed procedures involved. sufficiently competent. scribes not only the wonders of word Moreover, the author is often philoOn the other hand, his description processing but also the programs that sophical—to a fault, I think. of how to deal with editors and re- are rapidly becoming available to Michaelson is clearly a seasoned viewers struck me as an unnecessar- monitor spelling, grammar, and even veteran of communications, and he ily lengthy discussion of the obvious. style. thinks like an engineer. His overall His advice about preparing bibliogIn similar fashion, the author dismessage is plan: Treat the writing task raphies didn't quite reach the fun- cusses the use of terminals for biblias seriously as any other part of an damental truth: Work conducted ographic searching, not only to proengineering project, set goals with without checking what other rele- duce the bibliography for an article care, start early, outline, marshal the vant work already has been done is but also to remind the writer to best resources that the technological likely to be wasted. choose words in the abstract that will Reviewed by Edward F. Leonard
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Books
THE ROBERT A. WELCH FOUNDATION CONFERENCES ON CHEMICAL RESEARCH XXVII. STEREOSPECIFICITY IN CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY NOVEMBER 7-9, 1983 THE SHAMROCK HILTON HOTEL HOUSTON, TEXAS
PROGRAM E. J. COREY, Presiding Monday, November 7, 1983 9:30 a.m. 9:35 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.
JACK S. JOSEY, President, Welcoming of Guests. NORMAN HACKERMAN, Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board, Opening Remarks. E. J. COREY, Introductory Remarks. DAVID A. EVANS, "Studies in Asymmetric Carbon-Carbon Bond Construction." K. BARRY SHARPLESS, "Challenging Nature: Titanium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Epoxidation."
Tuesday, November 8, 1983 9:00 a.m.
DIETER SEEBACH, "From Crystal Structures to Stereoselective Reactions of Organometallic Compounds." 11:00 a.m. JEREMY R. KNOWLES, "The Impact of Stereochemistry on Enzyme Mechanism." 2:30 p.m. ROBERT J. FLETTERICK, "Glycogen Phosphorylase-Plasticity and Specificity."
Wednesday, November 9, 1983 9:00 a.m.
CARL Ο. ΡΑΒΟ, "Specificity in Protein-DNA Interactions."
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION LEADERS GARY H. POSNER—The Johns Hopkins University CHRISTOPHER T. WALSH—Massachusetts Institute of Technology
THE ROBERT A. WELCH FOUNDATION CONFERENCES ON CHEMICAL RESEARCH XXVII. STEREOSPECIFICITY IN CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY NOVEMBER 7-9, 1983 THE SHAMROCK HILTON HOTEL, HOUSTON, TEXAS . I will attend the conference. . I will attend the complimentary luncheon on Tuesday, November 8, 1983. A block of rooms has been reserved at The Shamrock Hilton Hotel. I understand that, if I desire hotel reservations at The Shamrock Hilton Hotel, it is my responsibility to make reservations directly with this hotel prior to October 15, 1983. Return to: The Robert A. Welch Foundation 2010 Bank of the Southwest Building Houston, Texas 77002 (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE)
Dr. Mr. Mrs. Miss_ PositionFirm or Institution. Address/City/State/Zip_
Note:
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Advance registrations will be acknowledged and accepted in order of their receipt, to within the capacity of the available space. ADVANCE REGISTRATIONS SHOULD BE SENT PRIOR TO October 15, 1983
August 1, 1983 C&EN
allow other authors to find his or her work. As up to date and competent as this discussion is, it is not informative enough, however, and one is led to ask whether it is sufficient that the book has described what is possible without following through with more details. In his discussion of illustrations for an engineering report, Michaelson's extensive experience and wisdom show through again. But, again, I wish he had provided more details and more reasons for keeping his book close at hand during the actual process of writing. As with its other sections, the text here is up to date, with due attention given to com puter-generated illustrations. Michaelson generally supplies useful examples, including many wellconstructed tables. One oddity is a figure provided by his publisher that attempts to show how citation-fre quency information can be used to choose a well-read journal to which a paper might be submitted. The figure is crude and lacks a needed explanatory legend. A single chapter on oral commu nication is included. Like most oth ers, it is short but thoughtful. But more information and references about how to design and prepare vi sual aids would be useful, as would further guidance about how many visuals to use and how many words one can expect to deliver per minute. The progenitor of "how to" books is, of course, the cookbook. The cookbook that sells and presumably pleases most buyers is one that transforms the tedium of food prep aration into something adventure some and motivates the expenditure of extra energy to carry out an es sential task in a superior manner. But the cookbook that sells also contains much advice on proper techniques and, at its heart, a stream of recipes, thus guaranteeing itself a long, use ful life as it acquires folded page corners, grease spots, and burn marks. For me, Michaelson's book lends nobility to the hard task of technical writing, but it lacks a rea son for keeping it close at hand to acquire index tabs, ink smudges, and a cracked spine. I wish it had even greater practical value than it already has. D
