The Elements of Technical Writing

by Gary Blake, Robert W. Bly

  The essential guide to writing clear, concise proposals, reports, manuals, letters, memos, and other documents in every technical field.   Includes a section with examples and text that address the specialized writing problems of systems analysts and software engineers.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, Business, Research

174 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish there was an updated version of this great reference

[CJ Harries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, concise volume that lives up to the Elements of ... namespace.

[Eýháb Áwád]

very good

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic and dated.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lays out a nice set of guidelines for the aspiring technical writer. A lot of the advice in here was common sense to me, but a good amount of the advice being given was niche too (I hadn't seen it before! Eye-openers!). I read the 90s version of the book. I don't know if it went through a revision or not. That may be something to consider when you're picking the book up. At any rate, even though some of the advice inside the book has aged, it's still sound.

However, I'll admit that a fair amount of the 'rules of thumb' embedded in the book aren't 100% representative and self-evident. I mean self-evident in the sense that the advice doesn't hold true across all situations. Some of the style choices they emphasize are merely personal taste. When I reached these sections of the book I just kind of cherry-picked what sorts of guidelines I felt aligned closely with my stylistic choices. I didn't have a problem doing this as the atmosphere generated by the writers of the book was neither vindictive nor preachy.

A good reference book to keep in your desk area. 5/5 is my verdict.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want my own copy of this book. It's great! It's informative and to-the-point.

[Kate]

Useful reference for the desk