The editors present a collection of 16 essays focusing on the state of assessment in technical and professional communication.

In this book, Miriam F. Williams explores regulatory writing that promotes distrust in historical and contemporary African American constituencies. Focusing specifically on Texas regulatory laws, she examines how writers of legislation and policies struggle with making language of legislation and policies clearer and objective while grappling with long-held feelings of distrust of government legislation in African American citizens--feelings that have been perpetuated by historical use of veiled language in laws and policies. She explores the possibility of mitigation an audience's mistrust by writing these policies in Plain English in an attempt to be more objective and transparent. The book is recommended to all who seek to explore the connections between public policy and technical communication and the implications of these fields of study on social and cultural concerns.

This book offers a practitioner's perspective on using social media in developing, revising, and distributing technical documentation. It is targeted to professional communicators interested in applying tools such as blogs and wikis to elicit more user participation in the documentation development process. It would be an excellent addition to professional communication courses focused on preparing documentation and/or using new media. This book not only provides a solid overview of currently available tools, but it also helps give readers the confidence to begin exploring and participating in online conversations and communities of their own.

This book is a well-written scholarly work that develops the concept of metaphor as a subject to be taught in technical and scientific communication. It develops the reader's understanding of the particular nature and role of metaphor in technical communication and should be useful as a reference book for educators.

Existing literature argues, in general terms, that China has a growing need for technical communication and technical communication education. Following up on these studies, this paper more closely examines China's needs for technical communication education. Based on interviews with industry professionals and reviews of their writing samples, this paper seeks to find out who among the industry professionals in China needs technical communication, what their communication practices are, the areas in which they need education, and what US technical communication professionals can do to help develop this education. Preliminary findings and suggestions as well as topics for future research are presented.

Coombs's work is a solid introduction to crisis communication that will serve technical communicators learning about the topic from a public-relations perspective. Heath and O'Hair's book provides a good integration of the related disciplines, and its contributors give readers a solid background in relevant theories and issues.

The authors assemble an easy-to-read account of research methods in technical and professional communication, provide previously published examples of research in the field, and analyze those examples to demonstrate the relationship between theory and practice. This is an overall good resource for educators, students, and practitioners who wish to perform, systematically and methodologically sound research in technical and professional communication.

In 12 chapters, the author moves through topics such as the art of speaking, preparation and planning, the strong opening, platform mastery, vocal mastery, the strong conclusion, and a few other tips on negotiation thrown in along the way. While the book could provide ideas for an accomplished or experienced speaker, it could also serve as a quick reference for someone embarking on a new career or career enhancement.

This slender but informative book provides a look at the evolving practice and importance of technical communication in a growing company (Lukens Steel Company of Coatesville, Pennsylvania) in an expanding industry and market (iron and steel) during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Presents a review of this humorous book on grammar by June Casagrande. The book is a comprehensive, authoritative, and easy-to-use guide for professional communicators.

The author describes his experience with Microsoft Office Visio 2007 and three books that explain the operations of the program.

This book provides an overview of a form of information management called tagging. The primary audience for this book consists of web designers, developers, information architects, user experience developers, and product managers.

This is a text in which scholars discuss some of the issues associated with conducting qualitative research via the internet. The editors address six broad questions, one per chapter. The book would be a useful addition to a graduate course on qualitative internet research.

This book is an excellent tool for people who want to make their websites more appealing and user-friendly. A supplemental website parallels the lessons discussed in each chapter.

This collection takes a broad look at the issue of outsourcing technical writing jobs and would help anyone who is interested in current themes and concerns to catch up on the conversation. The collection is organized into three parts: "Outsourcing Practices by Region"; "Management and Cross-Cultural Communication Issues"; and "Legal, Ethical, and Political Issues." The only drawback to the book is that some of the conclusions and references were already out of date when the book went to press. Overall, the book gives readers a well-rounded look at the history, perspectives, and issues that are important to the ongoing phenomenon of outsourcing in the technical communication field.

The author builds on the position that "knowledge is power," with particular reference to knowledge providing the basis for competitive action. This book is written to be useful in teaching and research. It is divided into two sections: the first presents the theory and the second presents a set of illustrative case studies that show how the theory is manifested. The 30 knowledge-flow principles are enumerated at the start, explained in the overview, developed in detail and, finally, repeated in the summary. The book is well written, providing both brief summaries of the principles and well-formulated development of the meaning and application of these principles. The book's audience includes academic researchers and teachers in knowledge engineering and communications, as well as those developing systems that support or require knowledge management.

While there is no advice on spelling in this book, Wolman tells the history of how English spelling has changed since the Anglo-Saxon period and American spelling since the American Revolution and explains how and why the changes occurred. His history is highlighted with astute comments, personal anecdotes, and even philosophical musings. The book should be entertaining and informative for anyone who might want to learn more about how our present-day spelling got to be in the shape it is in.

The editors present a series of articles to familiarize the reader with current trends and issues in international human resources management (IHRM). The book itself is a reprinting of a May 2007 special issue of the scholarly journal, The International Journal of Human Resource Management. The book begins with an introduction by the editors. It is followed by three articles that each deal with a perspective from a different part of the world. The remaining eight chapters in the book are nationally based cases. This book would be most appropriate for academicians conducting research in IHRM or as an assigned text in a doctoral-level seminar on IHRM.

This reference book brings together papers that address the whole range of topics in the area of open source software (OSS). The book is divided into seven sections, and each section contains five to ten chapters. Some of the topics covered include: a historical and contextual overview of free/libre open source software (FLOSS) and OSS; development models and methods for open source software production; laws and licensing practices; public policy, the public sector and government perspectives; business approaches and applications; and educational perspectives. The book does contain copyediting errors and an incomplete index, but despite the flaws, it is a rich source of research topics that can be used in any computer-related curriculum. It is recommended for every technical library.

This book addresses the place of intuition in business. Some of the topics covered include: the nature of intuition; formal approaches to decision making; the difference between insight and intuition; and the relationship between feelings and intuition. While the book conveys the message that intuition is a valuable process in business, the author does not manage to construct an argument that most serious readers will find convincing.

This book provides the job seeker with a comprehensive manual to prepare for the interview process. The text is divided into three sections: "Today's Hiring Authority and You"; "The Four Types of Qualifying Questions"; and "Asking Your Own Questions of Yourself, Your Recruiter, and Your Potential Employer." The book also includes an appendix that lists mistakes candidates can make at different points in the interview and job search processes. These mistakes capture some of the main points listed in earlier sections. While none of the material is particularly unique, the author does assemble a good deal of relevant material in one place.

The book's purpose is to present the evolution, innovations, and best practices of electronic human resources management (e-HRM) to human resources management researchers, faculty, practitioners, and consultants. Ten chapters are catalogued into one of four sections: "The Cutting-Edge in HRM," "Redesigning HR Administrative Processes," "E-Learning Strategies," and "Managing IT and Organizational Changes." Chapters are essentially scholarly articles, containing an abstract, introduction, a study, conclusions, and references. The text is easy to navigate because it displays effective visual design and uses visuals, such as graphs and charts. It is easy to read because the authors of each article clearly state, support, and delineate how technology and HRM are used in their work. The authors present compelling case studies and examples to support their claims. This book can serve as a reference for managers, researchers, and other HRM practitioners who are preparing for the future and trying to learn from the successes and challenges of other HRM organizations.

This 160-page book acquaints readers with the tools, techniques, and the discipline of project management. The first two chapters get readers up to speed by listing and defining vocabulary terms. The elements of project management are then presented: planning the project; developing a mission, vision, goals, and objectives for a project; using the work breakdown structure to plan a project; scheduling project work; producing a workable schedule; project control and evaluation; and project control using earned value analysis. Three chapters focus on managing the people who work on projects. While the book lays out the fundamentals in an accessible way for general readers, it will by no means give potential project managers all that they need to know.

Alan G. Gross, who wrote the classic 1990 work, Rhetoric of Science, returns almost two decades later with this text, in which he maintains and improves the coherence and thoughtfulness of his rhetorical approach to science. No longer a prophet, Gross returns as a seriously considered critic of scientific practice from the rhetorical perspective. His move from the revolutionary periphery of scientific study toward the its center begins as he backs away from the more radical statements of his earlier text. His choice of case studies also dampen the revolutionary tone, with the focus on historical examples. Additionally, the chapters have an impressive coverage. Gross deftly synthesizes so many of the different federalized domains of knowledge into single coherent arguments. The book is useful in two respects. First, it possesses tremendous historical significance, having set a tone that helped to legitimize the rhetorical study of science. Second, the book is useful for its insights into how literal and visual technologies of representation help to invent, legitimate, promote, and popularize scientific work.

This book explains the paper and electronic portfolio-building process, using the portfolio for job seeking, and relevant legal and ethical issues. Included in its nine chapters are the following topics: an overview of the importance of portfolios, their various types and formats, and strategies to organize a portfolio; creating a personal identity; the content, design, and structure of portfolios; revising and improving portfolio quality; representing skills and expertise in electronic portfolios; ethical and legal issues; strategies for getting feedback; and the use of portfolios for job hunting. Each chapter opens with an introduction and closes with a summary of the key ideas. Much of the information is explained in tables and as checklists, making it efficient to find particular information of readers' interest. Another unique feature is that each chapter is relatively independent. This book is recommended for technical and professional communication students and practitioners who seek a practical guide on portfolio creation.

This book consists of essays related to the issues of regulation of communication. The chapters present different facets of the question of how officials control, "regulation," and informal social and cultural constraint of communication, "regularization," impact the processes of communication on the professional and workplace setting. Some of the topics covered include: the regularized communications forms used in the healthcare profession; the impact of the PowerPoint software application as a regulator or "regularizer" of professional presentations; the regulatory practices of academic writing; the use of discourse to challenge the status quo and to work for change; the nature of power in the workplace; and the discourse form used in public hearings and inquiries. The text achieves the editors' objective in providing the reader with a sound picture of the state of current study and with a framework of ideas and perspectives to prompt future research.

Although the title alludes to communications in general, the emphasis within this book is on speaking, not writing. Eight of the chapters deal specifically with public speaking, one addresses email and memos, and the last two deal with presentation elements, graphs, and PowerPoint. With two chapters emphasizing anxiety, the reader may experience anxiety overload. Control remedies listed include drugs to relieve anxiety. If your profession is highly dependent on oral communication, then this book may offer a number of items to help you become a better than average speaker. If, on the other hand, your profession is more aligned with technical writing, or editing communications, then this text offers very little.

In this book, the author mentors his readers in principles of designing a web portfolio, a multimedia vehicle that allows individuals and companies to show their work across geographical boundaries. He outlines a modular process for developing a web portfolio and explains common pitfalls that can interfere with the process. Topics covered include: conceptualization; information design and visual design; content, collection, development and management; web page design; functionality; uploading and testing sites; and portfolio launch and promotion. This practical book is worth the time and price.

This book outlines what public relations professionals think it means to do the right thing and what they truly must do to advance their careers. The authors talked with almost 200 "diverse professionals" and received survey responses from more than 1,000 others. The 11 chapters if the book not only present the authors' research, but also they provide background on the public relations profession. The book provides extensive information in an organized manner and includes relevant data charts throughout the book to call out highlights of the research. Those who manage public relations or communications activities will find this book relevant to the work they do.

This book discusses the technology behind portals and grid networks, describes grid technology's evolution, and helps readers make managerial decisions. It has 18 chapters and is divided into four sections. "The Toolset," consisting of three chapters, gives readers basic knowledge necessary to read the rest of the sections. In Section II, entitled "Web Services as Shared Resources," the authors describe web services in terms of a multi-tier architecture and discuss implementation. Section III, "Putting Portals on the Web," associates portals with web services, and thoroughly describes portals, including historical background, development framework, application platforms, maintenance, and management. The final section, "Grids as Virtual Organizations," covers grid goals, grid networks and applications, and web services as grid platforms. The book could be more reader-friendly by making sure all acronyms are escorted by their full names the first time they appear and providing more explanation of new ideas and concepts. Despite the slight flaws, the book is an excellent read and recommended for project managers, web architects, and IT students.

This book details the views and dedication of a first-year English teacher at a borderline high school who gets a class of mostly "underachievers" with attitudes. The book documents the trials and tribulations of her students' daily struggles in life.

This short book about listening is intended for use as either supplemental reading in business and professional communication course, or as the text of a listening module in such courses. The book aims to provide guidance about how to listen, theoretical background of interest to a person engaged in another professional field, and elements of persuasion about the importance of listening as a communication skill.

Expectations for a book in its 6th edition are relatively high: it must have more than casual merit to garner continued editions, and this book meets most expectations quite nicely. Structure, content, and presentation combine for an effective text for those practicing technical communication (or pursuing the educational prerequisites for such a career plan). Some of the topics covered include: resources for technical communication; visual communication; workplace literacy; collaboration and ethics; document design; the need for good definitions; description; instructions, procedures, and process explanations; the different types of reports; letters, memos, and email; and career communication (a.k.a. resume writing) and oral presentations. The text is well written and should prove useful to the practicing technical writer, regardless of the particular industry in which he or she is employed. It will be referred to on a regular basis.

This book is somewhat like a ghostly voice reminding the reader of lessons learned long ago, lessons that may have been forgotten in the hectic pace of business today. The authors blend manners and etiquette very nicely, making it difficult to tell one from the other unless the particular subject matter is looked at in context with a particular circumstance. The book consists of eight chapters, each covering a particular aspect of business etiquette. Among the topics covered are: successful meetings; basic business dining etiquette; special dining events; communication etiquette; and cross-cultural etiquette. The book offers the reader very little in new information, but provides a quick reminder for someone about to undertake an assignment, as well as some added bits of information to consider before the event. The book is worth reading, probably more than once, and is a welcome addition to the library.

This book bridges two fields - the management of teams and the use of collaborative software tools to support work in the virtual team environment. It is divided into two parts: the first addressing the managing of virtual teams and the second an evaluation of software tools to support the virtual teams. Chapter 1 discusses team dynamics in a virtual team. Chapter 2 concerns the establishment of a virtual team. Chapter 3 discusses the choice of particular collaborative tools. Chapter 4 addresses decisions about communicating with the team, while Chapter 5 addresses the issues of coordinating the team. In Chapter 6, the authors advocate the use of a wiki for authorship of documents, while in Chapter 7, they discuss the conduct of project reviews. Chapter 8 concerns the processes required to manage risk and change, while Chapter 9 wraps up Part 1 by discussing the evaluation of projects. Part 2 describes the general classes of tools available, the variety of features available in tools, and the interaction of those features with different types of of situations presented in virtual team work. The chapters of this part deal with the general approach used by the authors, the issues of installation, customization and security, collaborative software suites, meeting and communication tools, information broadcasting tools, information sharing tools, information gathering tools, "push" technologies, and wikis. The guidance provided in this book will be of considerable assistance to anyone making decisions about appropriate tools to support collaborative virtual teamwork.

The reviewer states that "A Concise Guide to Technical Communication" is an excellent reference text and worthy of being on the library shelf of anyone involved in technical communications - a handy guide for the quick search and easy read.

An increasing body of research relies on genre to analyze academic and professional communication and to describe how members of a community use language. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of genre-based research in technical communication and to describe the different approaches to genre and to genre teaching. While some research focuses on the textual analysis of genres, other studies focus on the analysis of the social context and the ideology and structure of the discourse community that owns the genre, and on the role of genres as social rhetorical actions of the community. These two perspectives are also reflected in the teaching of genre in technical communication.

This article provides an introduction to the special issue on Expanding the Boundaries of E-Collaboration. It presents an operational definition of the term e-collaboration, and a historical review of the development of e-collaboration tools and related academic research. That is followed by an introductory development of the notion of e-collaboration boundaries. The article concludes with a summarized discussion of the articles published in the special issue.

Practitioners and academics both are subject to and participate in frequent reviews, but these reviews often fail to provide useful results. This article illustrates problems with reviews, identifies common purposes for reviews, and presents recommendations for reviewers and review-seekers.