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| Author: Paul J. Silvia
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $10.17
You Save: $4.78 (32%)
Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 4329
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 149
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5 x 0.4
ISBN: 1591477433
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.042
EAN: 9781591477433
Publication Date: January 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Short, and very sweet. March 9, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I am a graduate student in behavior analysis and was recommended this book by one of my advisors. I've done good in all of my classes to this point, but I could never find the time to start the research/writing aspect of my degree. There was always something better, more interesting, more pressing that I needed to do instead of writing. As I read this brief and to the point book, I found the author addressing every last one of my excuses for not writing. And while I cannot completely credit this book (I have to take a little bit of the credit), I can say that I have written more in the past few weeks since reading this book than I have over the course of my entire career in graduate school.
This book focuses on scientific writing, but would be useful to anyone struggling to complete any type of academic writing. The main point of this book is that the only way to write productively is to make a schedule (daily, weekly, etc.) and stick to it, no matter what. In addition, Silvia discusses how to create your own writing support group, tips for other scientific writing endeavors (grants, book chapters, etc.), and also offers some stylistic recommendations. All this is done is an informal, tongue-in-cheek tone that keeps the book a light and fast read. Whether you are graduate student just starting out, or a distinguished professor, if you struggle with becoming or remaining a productive writer, there's something in this book for you.
the best book on writing I have read June 1, 2007
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is a great little book on writing. It is a fast read, very practical, and filled with sound advice. My favorite part of it is the way in which it debunks the excuses that are so easy to use to avoid writing. It discusses the process of setting aside time to write, setting prioirities, and monitoring progress on goals. I realize this sounds very dull, and I have definitely read books about prioritizing and goal setting that were boring. But this book is engaging throughout. Reading it felt to me like having a nice conversation with a teacher I like a lot, whose words I really want to take in and use.
 Good practical advice March 26, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The book is compact and written with a good sense of humor. It offers a lot of hands-on, well-motivated tips for productive writing. While academics are the target audience, the book would be useful for anyone with big writing tasks.
The main message of the book is self-evident: to write a lot, you need to -write a lot.
An engaging, concise text that can inform the least experienced to the most seasoned authors April 13, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Dr. Silvia is both informative and entertaining in his presentation of practical methods for being a productive writer. I have implemented a number of his suggestions and have encouraged a number of my colleagues to do so as well. I have also found the book to be a useful text in courses preparing undergraduate students to write a thesis. Although the book is perhaps directed primarily at professionals, Dr. Silvia's use of humor makes the book accessible to students. His methods, if applied early, could make our protégés surpass us.
An easy, helpful read June 21, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book is the perfect length, so you'll actually get through it. The chapters are focused, and the topics covered are relevant and useful. I've really enjoyed reading it.
Silvia's style is funny without trying too hard, which makes a short book go even faster. My favorite chapters... Chapter 2 (on specious barriers to writing a lot) will motivate you and get you to finally give writing a place in your schedule. Chapter 3 (Motivational tools) presents time-tested goal-setting tips that will help you start writing and keep going. Chapter 5 (a brief foray into style) gives you just enough tips on style and improving your writing that you might actually take some of his advice.
I'm in a PhD program in psychology, so his advice to students and professors (which comes from his experience in psychology) seems really helpful and relevant, but I wonder if the tips in chapters 6 and 7 (on writing journal articles and books, respectively) would be less helpful to people from very different fields. Anyone would benefit just from reading chapters 1-5, though, so I still whole-heartedly recommend it.
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