In addition to examining successful presentations, Alley also discusses the errors that cause many scientific presentations to flounder, providing a list of ten critical errors to avoid. The insights and tools in this book will guide readers to deliver outstanding presentations.

Praise for Michael Alley's THE CRAFT OF SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS:

"Alley has revamped the way our research center makes presentations-particularly the way we design our presentation slides." DANIEL J. INMAN, DIRECTOR CENTER FOR INTELLIGENT MATERIAL SYSTEMS

"This book fills a void by illustrating key issues and difficulties in oral presentations with the experiences of others." CHRISTENE MOORE, COMMUNICATION INSTRUCTOR UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

Praise for Michael Alley's The Craft of Presentations: “Alley has revamped the way our research center makes presentations particularly the way we design our presentation slides.” (Daniel J. Inman, Director Center for Intelligent Material Systems)

“This book fills a void by illustrating key issues and difficulties in oral presentations with the experiences of others.” (Christene Moore, Communication Instructor University of Texas at Austin)

"A refreshing addition to a genre dominated by English teacher-style textbooks. Instead of listing rules that constrain writers, the book uses examples to lay out the path to successful communication . . . Especially helpful (and entertaining) is the chapter on the writing process. Anyone who has spent more time avoiding a writing task than actually doing it will appreciate Alley's tips." -DR. ELLEN OCHOA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FLIGHT CREW OPERATIONS, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

"This book offers effective methods for improving writing efficiency and overcoming difficulties during the preparation of technical information." -ROBERT L. SCHMITT, DOCTORAL CANDIDATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

FROM THE REVIEWS:

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION "THE CRAFT OF SCIENTIFIC WRITING is worthwhile reading for technical writers and writers of generic prose as well as scientific writers...Although most of its examples come from science and engineering, most of the content applies to all domains of technical and professional writing. I'd hate to see the book overlooked by technical writers because of the word 'scientific' in its title. The book is straightforward, clear, thoroughly accessible, and easily read, with a simple style...It is extremely well organized...lots of fascinating examples, many drawn from recent events of general interest...The book presents a basic no-nonsense approach to technical, professional, and scientific writing...It gives sound advice...it's quickly and easily read and well worth the time. If you want something less than a full-blown textbook, I recommend [this book]."

IEEE ELECTRICAL INSULATION MAGAZINE "...a well-written book that uses examples from actual documents to illustrate the differences between strong and weak scientific writing...This book can make you a critical reader of scientific writing to allow you to craft your own style for various writing situations...Anyone who writes scientific papers, articles, proposals, books and other written communication will find this book an invaluable asset and learning tool. Even experienced scientific writers can polish their writing style and some may even be enlightened."

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION "Alley offers advice for all kinds of scientific writing, from technical proposals and papers to more popular items intended for more general nonspecialist audiences...Those who do a variety of writing for various types of audiences will benefit more from Alley's book..." ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PHYSIKALISHE CHEMIE "This book gives a comprehensive and lively presentation of (nearly) any problems of scientific writing, enriched by many examples form numerous disciplines and famous authors...Certainly it offers a lot of advice and a lot of useful suggestions for both professionals and students, in particular those whose native language is not English. It can be strongly recommended."

COMPUTING REVIEWS "...I recommend the book to scientists and engineers of all ages who know how hard it is to write and want help."

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRESS "In total, the book is a good read and presents thoughtful, useful lessons for those who want to improve their scientific writing."