Review of Introduction to Engineering Communication by Hillary Hart: Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J., 2005. ISBN: 0-13-146102-8. Price: $27. 188 pp.

This text offers constructive and substantial advice on technical communication not only for freshmen but also for all students in engineering and computer science. The author has extensive classroom experience at undergraduate and graduate levels and draws from recent theory on engineering education and writing. Moreover, she has worked as a technical writer, editor, curricula developer, and consultant. Since professors in the content areas seldom have time to cover issues of communication in their class, this text could go a long way in helping students produce competent writing in their field. While it lends itself to self-instruction or independent study by students early in their careers, Introduction to Engineering (IEC) also serves as a useful aid to instructors who wish to write assignments that produce improved term papers and projects.

The first four chapters of this book focus on the importance of effective writing (and speaking), emphasizing the idea of audience and purpose. As a teacher of composition, I hear frequent complaints from engineering students who resent having to take a writing course and who protest that they “do numbers, not writing” in their future professions. Hillary Hart quickly deflates this popular myth that engineering work involves “mere” facts or numbers. She aims to prepare students for the real world, where problem-solving and clear communication are essential. This includes turning data into useful information, whether it is a lab report for a professor or a proposal for a nontechnical audience. Because engineers interact with diverse audiences, such as bosses, managers, suppliers, vendors, and clients in the public sector, for example, they must understand the expectations of those readers and listeners both in terms of content and format. This text helps students analyze the needs of specific audiences and frame their writing projects accordingly. It guides students through the various stages of planning technical documents, including conducting research, evaluating sources, drafting, organizing, documenting, revising for clarity, and editing for style. This section is thorough but by no means formulaic. Instead, it stresses the process of critical thinking and writing.

In Chapter five, Hart reiterates the importance of turning data into information and focuses on the use—and misuse—of graphics in technical documents. While visuals synthesize complex data in simplified form, they should not, Hart advises, replace words to explain the relationship between such data. The design rules for presentation graphics differ from those of graphics in written documents, and this chapter deals with the latter. Students will find sound advice on how to design effective tables and figures (graphs, charts, drawings, and schematics) and learn how to integrate graphics with a text that establishes meaning and relevance for its intended audience. Hart illustrates her points with examples from various fields of engineering.

Just when students think their project is finished, Hart reminds them in Chapter six that it’s time to look at the big picture: reenvisioning their work. Hart draws a clear distinction between rewriting and proofreading, encourages peer-review sessions, and provides useful sample peer-review questions and checklists that cover a range of concerns from structure and content to logic and flow. Another chapter offers equally helpful hints on oral presentation skills for students preparing to present in class, at conferences, or for clients. While the first seven chapters of IEC focus mainly on undergraduate engineering students, Chapter eight offers pertinent information for graduate students as well. “Producing Engineering Documents: The Rubber Meets the Road” culminates in samples and explanations of the most common types of engineering documents: designing professional papers, correspondence, research proposals, progress reports, and feasibility reports.

Overall, the strength in Hart’s text lies in the fact that she avoids the deadly formulaic approach of too many other “writing guides” in the field of engineering. She does not oversimplify critical thinking or talk down to students. Instead, she builds on what students know, offers pragmatic advice, and reinforces the conventions of writing required for technical communication. IEC is comprehensive yet concise, presenting a realistic perspective on the communication skills critical to engineering work. Each chapter is organized around clearly stated objectives and key terms, includes practice cases and problems, and ends with a list of references for further reading. Prentice Hall’s ESource publishing system gives professors the option to tailor this text to their particular course by choosing only those chapters specific to their goals.