I was rummaging around in Half Price Books the other day and there was a cart in there marked "Last Chance Collectibles Cheap". Ah, old books. I found a couple of treats. One was an old sci fi book I'll post about later. The second was Technical Writing: Third Edition by T. A. Rickard. It was copyrighted 1931 and is full of retro tech writing goodness.
The book is a style and grammar guide. Rickard was an editor for "Engineering and Mining Journal" , "The Mining Magazine", and "Mining and Scientific Press". According to the front matter, he delivered lectures at universities in an effort make engineers aware of good writing. If he had only known back then that 80 years later engineers would still write horribly, he may have given up after the first edition. From the first chapter:
It has been stated, by Sir James M. Barrie, that "the man of science appears to be the only man who has something to say, just now—and the only man who does not know how to say it". The friendly jibe of the novelist contains enough exaggeration to make it humorous to the followers of Huxley and Spencer; but could any litterateur poke similar fun at the exponents of the avowedly utilitarian branches of science—the men of technology—without suggesting an unpleasant truth?
Indeed the engineer does bungle language deplorably. He makes a fetish of efficiency, yet he shows no regard for the effective use of one of his most important tools—the pen; he believes devoutly in accuracy, yet he employs an instrument of precision as carelessly as a small boy handles a gun.
This book is better than most modern books on tech writing.
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Unrest by Parkway Drive
I want. Gimme.
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love it!
differing points of view and priorities- lead to different approaches.
very human
never ending.
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Just found an online copy of this handbook on Google. I wish I had the guts as an editor to complain about the "slovenliness" of my engineers' writing!
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