Scott L. Montgomery

This is a very fine book that did not make a discernible effect on me until I was over halfway through it. Because the approach was different from what I was expecting (I was anticipating a straight cultural history), I was initially disappointed; however, Montgomery is doing something more specific and subtle than the words 'cultural history' might imply. He focuses on the understanding of, visualization of and mapping of the features of our nearest astronomical neighbor. Stick with it -- its effect is cumulative. One doesn't get the usual story here.… (mais)

A popular impression about science is that scientists do not know how to write well; that is, they only write in highly technical jargon that’s, well, boring. Scientists spend so much of their training, the story goes, learning about facts that they do not master the art and craft of communication. Montgomery, in this work, seeks to counter that argument by teaching scientists how to communicate well. In so doing, he harkens to a centuries-long tradition where scientific writing is viewed as literature, not mere data dumps. And he demonstrates how a scientist, by attending to the craft of writing, can attract a wider scientific or public audience attending to the results of science.

Communication is and has always been part of the core job skills of being a scientist. One must publish papers; one often teaches; one must communicate with the public directly or via media; one often writes for grants. These are not add-ons to the vocation but intrinsic, necessary roles. By teaching readers to imitate good examples (where they are left to say, “I wish I would have written that!”), Montgomery hopes to inspire scientists to attend to this art-form more.

The book is academic and suitable for classroom use. Yet it is also inspiring and lively – an example of good writing in itself. Divided into three sections and twenty chapters, it covers the art of rhetoric as it applies to science, specific communicative products of science, and how to address common audiences. It’s not a grammar or a primer interested in proscriptive rules; rather, it portrays communication as an art or craft that enhances a scientist professionally. Even non-native English communicators are addressed in their own chapter!

Examples include a host of discipline across the “hard” sciences. (The social sciences are not specifically addressed.) Online formats are explored at length, and the book is written with an eye towards history. Visual graphics are given a separate chapter. The business of science writing and publishing is a topic that lies behind many of the chapters. Montgomery provides some nuggets of advice, yet he stops short of becoming overbearing or pedantic.

Physical scientists – whether in training or practicing – will benefit from this interesting guide. It does not cover medical writing about patients directly, only the underlying biology of the basic sciences. The writing style is engaging and thought-provoking. Ambitious undergraduates later in their programs or graduate students are all suitable audiences of readers. Communication, whether to the public or to colleagues, is an essential function of scientists, both today and in yesteryear. Montgomery’s inspirational text exemplifies how good writing takes form to impact the world.… (mais)

Fantastic. I bought this book to read about the translation of ancient Greek works on science and mathematics into modern European languages via Syriac, Arabic and Latin, which my university classes touched on back when I was a translation student, and it covers that topic in depth using the example of astronomy. The other sections were also very interesting, particularly the discussions of the development of names for chemical elements in Japanese and the characteristics of scientific papers written in Indian English. The author's academic writing style is very dense in places and so reading this was slow going, but worth it for me.… (mais)

Honestly, probably the best book you'd ever need on how to write a professional document, whether it be a grant, a proposal, a manuscript, etc. and Corvallis peeps are welcome to borrow my copy. Parts of this were required reading for COMM 550, but the whole thing is very good. The book uses examples (often excerpts from actual publications) on how to take an alright paragraph and tighten it up into a great one. He recommends keeping a bank of good examples to refer to for style & flow. The style of this book is self-demonstrating; easy to read without getting too chummy, but with a decent sense of humor too.

One of the drawbacks is that it was published ~2002, so references to e-journals, media storage, digital presentation vs slides, email, usenet groupsetc. are very dated. The principles behind how to write well, however, are not.… (mais)