In addition to the Microsoft Manual of Style (3rd Edition) for Technical Publications, I also have on my desk at work the “Handbook of Technical Writing” by Gerald Alred, Charles Brusaw, and Walter Oliu. This book is an excellent source for consultation, especially for grammar and basic English writing-related standards.

Technical Writing is a most unique field because **all** hard and fast grammar rules do not always apply. Technical Writing is a unique combination of **buzzwords** of a designated field along with correct grammar. So, it is sort of a “hybrid-writing” experience, just like you might have a car that has a battery and gas tank (like the Toyota Prius) for power. And so it is with Technical Publications.

These three men have done a tremendous job of assembling important concepts and rules and standards in this book. This manual has an excellent index in addition to an overall well-formed and well-structured contents. So, you can always find what you need. According to the introductory pages of the book, it seems that each co-author has a unique and well-established background befitting for such a great book. Technical Writers depend upon “a few good resources”, if you will, that will ensure the quality of our work.

It is more about writing. It is about interpreting things, presenting them, citing our sources, and things of that nature. Technical Writing is not fiction writing – rather, it requires diligent attention to details and facts and sources. Correctly assembled and synthesized and presenting – the materials gathered can eventually become an informative book, manual, instruction guide, or reference guide. So, today I offer thanks to these great men of the world of Technical Publications for having taken the time to put together this fantastic writing resource.

Here are the major sections of the book:

One. Five Steps to Successful Writing.

Two. Checklist of the Writing Process.

Three. Topical Keys to the Alphabetical Entries.

Four. Topical List of Figures and Model Documents.

Five. Handbook of Technical Writing – Alphabetical Entries.