How to Communicate Technical Information: A Handbook of Software and Hardware Documentation [Paperback]

Jonathan Price (Author), Henry Korman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0805368299 | ISBN-13: 978-0805368291 | Publication Date: July 10, 1993 | Edition: 1

In How to Communicate Technical Information, you will learn how to write printed and online computer documentation that is simple, clear, interesting and user-friendly. Technical writers Jonathan Price and Henry Korman map out easy-to-follow methods and include practical tips to help you create hardware and software documentation that is accessible to both beginning and experienced end-users. How to Communicate Technical Information: * Discusses easy-to-follow and user-friendly ways of organizing information. * Demonstrates how to use the art to communicate context, multiple options and results. * Offers new ways to present both quick start options for experienced users and installation instructions. * Presents effective new methods for supplying computer-based training (CBT), including sophisticated graphic and hypertext tours, and demonstrations. * Includes information on online help that suggests methods for integrating this feature into your documentation. Throughout the book, the authors share the techniques they present in their popular seminars as they provide straightforward and interesting ways of organizing information.Price and Korman also suggest practical methods for developing good writing styles. 0805368299B04062001

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In How to Communicate Technical Information, you will learn how to write printed and online computer documentation that is simple, clear, interesting and user-friendly. Technical writers Jonathan Price and Henry Korman map out easy-to-follow methods and include practical tips to help you create hardware and software documentation that is accessible to both beginning and experienced end-users.

How to Communicate Technical Information:
• Discusses easy-to-follow and user-friendly ways of organizing information.
• Demonstrates how to use the art to communicate context, multiple options and results.
• Offers new ways to present both quick start options for experienced users and installation instructions.
• Presents effective new methods for supplying computer-based training (CBT), including sophisticated graphic and hypertext tours, and demonstrations.
• Includes information on online help that suggests methods for integrating this feature into your documentation.

Throughout the book, the authors share the techniques they present in their popular seminars as they provide straightforward and interesting ways of organizing information. Price and Korman also suggest practical methods for developing good writing styles.

0805368299B04062001

About the Author

Jonathan Price is the author or coauthor of eight computer books, including FileMaker Pro 2.0 for Windows and FileMaker Pro 2.0 for Macintosh, with Rich Coulombre. He also designs online help systems for high-tech companies, including Apple Computer, Inc. and Claris Corporation.

0805368299AB04062001

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (July 10, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805368299
• ISBN-13: 978-0805368291
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a journalist, I've enjoyed getting to know people in the worlds of art, computers, video, and the web.

As a conceptual artist and concrete poet, I absorbed a lot from brave audiences.

As a teacher, I've learned enormously from my students at NYU, Rutgers, the Shakespeare Institute, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UNM, and professional organizations such as the ACM, IEEE, and STC.

And as a writer, I've always gotten a kick out of working collaboratively with other writers.

I live in New Mexico, along the Rio Grande, in an adobe house with a satellite dish on top, and three dogs who chase away balloons during the annual fiesta.

My wife Lisa is a writer and manager of customer representatives at a call center.

My son Ben runs an insurance office here in town, and Noah is about to graduate from UNM.

Me, I'm busy doing art pieces, fiction, and a bunch of writing about web applications and databases, mostly for the national laboratory here in town, Sandia.

You can learn more about all of us in the books...and our web sites:

www.webwritingthatworks.com

www.theprices.com

I occasionally respond to email at [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is good for a mid-entry Technical Writer, December 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Communicate Technical Information: A Handbook of Software and Hardware Documentation (Paperback)

It covers a lot in the 400+ pages of which it is comprised. Much of it is devoted to the planning stages of creating a technical document (with emphasis on software user guides). This book would be great for anyone who has between 1-3 years technical writing experience, or anyone attempting to implement new documentation procedures for their department. I still refer to the book from time to time. It also serves as a very good reference tool.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent entry- to mid-level, April 8, 2003

By 

P. Dever-Reynolds "Penny" (Santa Fe, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Communicate Technical Information: A Handbook of Software and Hardware Documentation (Paperback)

This book is clear, readable and interesting (more than I can say for my other reference books on this subject). It uses not just examples of good doc writing and formats, but also examples of first-cut not-so-good ones, and contrasts them. The layout of the book is easy to use, and the content complete.

I have several other reference books on this subject, and this is the one I love.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you read only one tech writing book . . ., October 1, 2000

By 

So many books, so little time... (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Communicate Technical Information: A Handbook of Software and Hardware Documentation (Paperback)

If you read only one tech writing book, this should be that book. Saying neither too much nor too little, this book steps you through everything you need to know, from where and how to find the background documents you need in order to learn about your subject, through how to schedule your project, to how to produce your outline, drafts, and finished document. Read this book!