The Essence of Technical Communication for Engineers: Writing, Presentation, and Meeting Skills

"Today's engineers are inundated with strict formalism, rigid procedures, and complex processes-none of which can be found in this book! Learn the art, tricks, and methods needed to become a great communicator with this light-hearted text, brimming with plenty of humor and real-world examples.

This handy reference is written for technologists who require a simple, concise, and practical guide to the communication dynamics of writing, presentation delivery, and meeting interaction. The context of these elements are presented using a proven "scripting" mechanism to capture three fundamental principles:
* Connection - getting attention to the subject matter
* Flow - maintaining the connection while proceeding smoothly from topic to topic
* Reinforcement - providing the substantiation for the points made in the flow

The Essence of Technical Communication for Engineers describes how these principles may be applied to each element of communication. An important focus is given to attitude during the essential planning and execution steps of a project, which enables the successful completion of the event-whether written, oral, formal, or casual.

This book may be used to accompany a technical communication course at the college or graduate level. It is a methodical, motivational companion that gives technologists the tools to enjoy writing.

For a look at the Table of Contents and the Introduction go to www.ieee.org/organizations/pubs/press/Hirschintro.pdf. For a look at Chapter 1, ""The Written Document: Prose and Panic"" go to
www.ieee.org/organizations/pubs/press/Hirschch01.pdf."

Sponsored by:
IEEE Professional Communications Society

About the Author Herbert L. Hirsch developed the communication techniques described in this book while preparing hundreds of technical documents, presentations, and proposals in the course of his prolific engineering career. He began his career at Systems Research Laboratories (now part of Veridian Corporation) in Dayton, Ohio, and rose to the position of Senior Engineer. Mr. Hirsch continued working in Dayton, as an Engineering Group Leader for Quest Research Corporation, as the Director of Systems Engineering for Applications Research Corporation, as the Director of Engineering for Defense Technology, Inc., and as Chief Engineer for MTL Systems, Inc. Mr. Hirsch has 30 years experience designing electronic systems, system and phenomenology simulations, and signal processing algorithms, primarily for military sensor systems. He has also authored and coauthored books on radar antenna simulation, statistical signal processing, hardware description languages, and electronic countermeasures. Mr. Hirsch currently operates his consulting business, Hirsch Engineering and Communications, Inc., from his home in Vandalia, Ohio.