The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publicatio [Paperback]

Microsoft Press (Author), Microsoft Corporation (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995 | ISBN-10: 1556159390 | ISBN-13: 978-1556159398 | Edition: Pap/Dskt

Everyone who writes about computing needs this book, from technical writers to journalists to marketers. This authoritative reference is now fully updated and extended to cover the latest advances in computing, including important Microsoft technologies, publishing on the Web, Internet topics and terms, and more. And of course, it offers all the hard-to-find facts and easy-to-use features that have established it as the standard in its field.

Organized alphabetically for easy lookup, this book is a gold mine of information, including:

- Correct and consistent usage of terminology, with an emphasis on technical computer terms, punctuation, grammar, design and interface elements, and more

- Clear practical advice on good writing practices -- everything from using verbs effectively to maintaining the right voice for a chosen audience

- Words commonly misspelled in technical documents

- Terms to avoid

- How to recognize jargon

- How and when to use abbreviations and acronyms

All this makes the "Microsoft Manual Of Style For Technical Publications, Second Edition", required reading for writers, editors, and anyone else who needs to put it correctly, clearly, and cogently.

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press; Pap/Dskt edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556159390
• ISBN-13: 978-1556159398
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,380,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, concise, and logical, April 6, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publicatio (Paperback)

This book would be excellent to use in developing a company style guide, or it will help you out until you have time to develop a company style guide. It will also help in resolving departmental word-choice squabbles, such as whether to use "click" or "click on". And if it seems odd to tell users to "check the check box," what do you tell them?

I needed this book years ago--now that I have it, I reach for it all the time. While I don't always follow its suggestions exactly, it offers me a non-trendy second opinion on technical style issues. Its straight A-Z dictionary format makes information easy to find, too.

Perhaps a curious note of trivia is suitable here: the on-line help systems in many Microsoft products were not developed according to this style guide. This is unfortunate, as I find this style guide helps me write clear, approachable on-line help better than any other style guide I've seen.

34 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why buy it when you can download it free?, January 11, 2003

By 

John Q. Public "Middle Class Working Parent" (West Lafayette, Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publicatio (Paperback)

The book is excellent! But the Microsoft press no longer prints it because it is available for download free from the Microsoft Download Center (search for the keyword "style").

But it is great if you like paper copies!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Concise - No Better Way to Put It, January 19, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publicatio (Paperback)

I agree with "A reader , April 30, 1997." Microsoft doesn't have to share its style guide with the world, but I'm glad they did. Sure, this is not a bible or a book of rules, but it gets you through when you're at a loss for words. The definitions they use reflect standard and common usage. Isn't that the way we all want to write? Clear and concise, no better way to put it.