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Rating: 
Summary: In a word...Excellent
Review: I own many books on technical writing. Almost all of them fall flat in one way or another. Many don't even follow the rules they prescribe. Then there's this book. Superbly organized, consistent, logical, well structured, etc.! Torrents of acolades can get boring, but I hope the point is made; This is a best-of-class effort. Ms. Hargis and her team deliver everything they promise. Page 2 lays out just what to expect.Buy one, use it, be impressed!
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Summary: One of the best books on quality and technical writing!
Review: I use many books to assist me in my editing, but this one is the best on my desk. Even if you don't write or edit technical documentation, these pages provide a wealth of information on how to do it right. And, if you do write or edit technical information, this is a great one to have available, no matter what style you use or must conform to. These folks did a great job of breaking down the quality of technical writing into easily digested categories. Recently, I taught the "nine quality characteristics" of the book to the writers I work with and they saw great value in them. I usually think of my editing and writing books as references, but this one is actually enjoyable to read. Highly recommended!
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Summary: A really good book to teach you about technical writing.
Review: I'm most impressed by this handbook. It's got great, practical advice and it gets right to the point in each chapter. I recommend it!
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Summary: Concepts and examples anchor excellent reference
Review: In spite of the editorial errors in the book (blame IBM Press) and the rather pointless pedantic goings-on in these reviews about the use of the word "quality", this is a most worthwhile manual. Hargis presents her strategy of ensuring that technical documents reflect accuracy, clarity, completeness, concreteness, organization, retrievability, style, task orientation and visual effectiveness. She devotes a chapter to each concept and offers relevant examples to show aspiring tech writers how to apply the concepts to their own work. This is not just a grammar book; it is a well thought out set of tactics that help generate a worthwhile technical document. I'd like to see future editions of this expand into the area of data gathering and instructional system design. Nevertheless, the concepts Hargis describes here are worthwhile, as is this book.
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Summary: Excellent reference (with a few typos)
Review: This is a self-explanatory book for people that have to write information (mostly technical) for others: books, manuals, online info, papers, etc. It has even comments for presentations. It includes advice when you expect international audience (for example, information in the Web), readers that are non-native speakers of English, color-blind people, etc. It covers lists, tables, charts, colors, figures, and so on. The book works only with before-and-after examples. But it also has first-, second- and third-revision examples. About the typos, forgive whoever did them, and take advantage of the excellent contents of the book. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: A year after buying it, it is still my resource of choice
Review: What a great book! Ms. Hargis has developed a manual that provides readily-accessible and practical information regarding the technical writing process. I actually read (yes, read) this book from cover to cover. Hargis practices what she preaches, by designing a tech writing book with the actual tech writing skills she prescribes. I use this book almost as often as my dictionary and my Microsoft Manual of Style. One of the most impressive aspects of this book is the vast amount of tech writing examples that can be incorporated into actual documentation. Instead of merely telling the writer what steps to take, Hargis actually SHOWS the writer what to do. How refreshing to read a handbook that actually illustrates tech writing techniques. The book also provides a multitude of checklists that show the writer the logical progression of the documentation. A definite must for your stack of books next to your computer.
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