April 10, 2009

 

Kicking off our readings for the quarter, our class was required to read and analyze the texts of two books (Science in Public and Ideas into Words).

The latter of the readings acts more like a hand guide for writers. The author, Elise Hancock, spreads her wisdom of writing. The first chapter focuses on attitudes. It is Hancock’s belief through experience that writing and attitude are directly connected. She offers positive thoughts and inspirational sentences that seem to scream, “You can do it!”

Chapters two and three offer more insight on how the research and writing process work. Through helpful tips and entertaining anecdotes, Hancock’s first three chapters really assist in learning how to write. Though some might find it corny and repetitive, the fundamentals that Hancock preaches are important for any writer, no matter their caliber.

Science in Public tracks the history of science writing and raises many questions on the issues and topics that interfere with the communication process between science, and the public.  The authors, Jane Gregory and Steve Miller, use historical science events to track what they refer to as low and high levels of scientific knowledge and the public.

The first chapter describes the benefits of a society that is understanding and up to date of science.  These benefits include those of national security, and economic benefit, and Aesthetic benefit, and the benefit of informed citizenship.  After asking the reader what he or she thinks the role of science is in Western culture. Though it may sound like a question, it is more or less a transitional sentence used to follow into the next chapter, which deals with “Science in Public Culture.”

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