Listen. Write. Present: The Elements for
Communicating Science and Technology
Stephanie
Roberson Barnard and Deborah St. James. 2012. New Haven, CT: Yale University
Press. [ISBN 978-0-300-17627-8. 192 pages, including index. US$22.00
(softcover).]
“Listen.
Write. Present.” The three title words summarize this book’s purpose. Stephanie
Roberson Barnard and Deborah St. James write a concise, thorough summary of the
skills needed to succeed beyond the classroom in science and technology
professions.
One
reason Listen. Write. Present. is
successful in reaching its audience is that it encompasses highlights from
other communication books into a one-stop shop resource. For example, the writing
section highlights important grammar and punctuation rules; of which many are
found in Strunk and White’s The Elements
of Style. The chapter on presenting includes tips about how to optimize the
use of slides—information that is a condensed version from Garr Reynolds’s Presentation Zen Design.
Also
covered are topics of networking, serving, and listening. These are always
helpful soft skills to review and practice, but particularly necessary for
advancement in science and technology. Networking, serving, and listening are
also necessary skills in other professions. This book is practical as a guide
for almost any career. The chapter about meetings includes a section about how
to run an effective meeting. Having sat through many meetings unrelated to
science and technology, I kept thinking about how I wished everybody,
regardless of their discipline of study, would review these skills to create
faster, more efficient meetings. Perhaps Barnard and St. James could modify
their title to encompass additional career fields and garner a larger audience.
Listen. Write.
Present.
could be used as a job searching tool for scientists as it includes sections
about interviewing and résumés. A helpful addition might be a curriculum vitae sample
as it is often easier to understand format by example than by description.
Many
of the traditional communications books do not include information on how to
incorporate technology into professional communication. This book does. From
helpful tips about email etiquette to tips about formatting PowerPoint
presentations, technology is definitely emphasized as a critical component to
current communication.
One
goal stated in Listen. Write. Present.
is to create a quick reference manual for scientists. Although this is largely
successful for the general information about writing and communicating, I found
a flaw in this book for specific disciplines of science. The writing chapter
includes a section about writing in the active voice instead of the passive
voice. In writing scientific papers in chemistry, the passive voice is the
accepted format for publication in a journal. For the scientist trying to
submit a paper for publication, this section would provide misleading advice.
However,
for a general guide about how to effectively leverage soft skills to maximize
career opportunities, Listen. Write. Present.
is an excellent resource. With its detailed index and list of additional
resources at the end, it is a one-stop shop reference for any scientist’s
shelf.
