--- MANTEX NEWSLETTER --- Number 73 - September 2002 Writing + Typography + Design ---- ISSN 1470-1863 ---- New term - New Books - New Resources 0----- "Writers' + Artists' Yearbook" The latest edition of this best-selling reference book has just appeared for 2003. It's an encyclopedia of what writers, journalists, and media workers need for contacts with publishers, agents, and anyone else in the communication industries. If you want to publish your writing, locate outlets, mug up on copyright, or see the best-seller lists for last year - it's all here. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/black.htm There's a rival publication called "The Writer's Handbook" which appears at the same time. The main difference is that the Handbook puts more emphasis on journalism and the broadcast media. See the difference at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/turner.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #1 What prevents food going down your windpipe? 0----- "Emotional Digital" [new book] Are you interested in modern font design? Then get hold of this book. It's both a stylish introduction and a compendium of the best in modern type design Thames and Hudson specialise in good quality design manuals, but they have surpassed themselves with this one. It's a collection of designs from all the most influential contemporary typographists - Neville Brody, Matthew Carter, David Carson, Sumner Stone, and Zuzane Liko. Their font designs are shown in use in a huge variety of forms - business stationery, posters, web pages, book design, and even typographic jewellery. http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/branczyk.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #2 What do Germans call Bavaria? 0----- Amazon student discounts! Students shopping at Amazon.co.uk can now get £5 off the price of 100s of textbooks. From Chemistry to Economics, they've got all the books you'll need. http://www.amazon.co.uk 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #3 Which is the largest of the Balearic islands? 0----- "Writing for the Internet" [new book] Oxford University Press have just issued a new series of introductory writing guides. The first is on writing for web pages. Jane Dorner is a specialist in this subject. She explains how writing for the computer screen is different than writing for print - and shows you how to do it. This is about efficient Internet communication and writing skills - not HTML coding. She covers editing, text 'chunking' and good page design, as well as how to get navigation basics right. There are also checklists, notes on style, plus lists of web resources. Full review and details at - http:/www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/dorner-3.htm If you missed Jane's earlier book on resources for writers on the Internet, have a look at our review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/dorner-2.htm 0----- 'Essays and Dissertations' Second in the new beginners' guides from Oxford University Press is Chris Mounsey's manual on writing skills for essays and research. There's plenty on essays, plus how to organise your ideas and your time. He also covers exam techniques and how to deal with longer pieces of work. The thing I like about these guides is that everything is broken down into small manageable topics. Cheap and cheerful stuff. More details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/mounsey.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #4 What does a topiarist do? 0----- 'Victorian Women Writers' [web essay] Regular contributor Kathryn Abram has kindly let us upload one of her latest creations - a Webliography of eTexts on Victorian women writers. For those who want to see what an academic web essay looks like, it's a good example of post-graduate work. If you are interested in English Lit, women writers from Bessie Belloc to Charlotte Yonge, or how to evaluate eTexts, have a look at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/ou/aa810/vww-01.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #5 Where would you meet Walloons? 0----- "Learning from Research" [new book] Judith Bell is a specialist on research skills. Her latest book is a guide to the techniques you can use for different types of research projects. It is based on a close study of five real projects. These are treated very realistically, with weaknesses revealed and solutions to common problems shared. If you have a research project and would like to learn how other people have gone about it, this is well worth looking at. Details - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/bell-2.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #6 Who wrote 'Roderick Hudson'? 0----- Design Matters - Weblog Charles Forster of Design Tutor writes to tell us: "I thought you might like to know about my new weblog - Plenty of Taste. It's mainly to do with work things that I come across on the web - graphic design, typography, journalism, and writing. I'm always looking for new items to include, so please send me any links you come across which I might like." Go to - http://www.plentyoftaste.com 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #7 What's another name for hypertension? 0----- "Writing for Journalists" [new book] Would you like to try your hand at journalism? This could mean writing news stories - or feature articles for the glossy magazines. Wynford Hicks has a new book which tells you how to go about it. The secret is precision, accuracy, and attention to detail. This is not a guide to glamorous writing, but serious professional guidance on the need for efficient communication. There's also good advice on writing reviews, and how to avoid common errors. You might even feel like writing a review for this newsletter when you've read what he has to say :-) http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/hicks.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #8 What is nictation? 0----- Crossword Clues [online help] Looking for crossword clues or other word play? Check out the site at One Across. It offers several tools for the word-fiddler. http://oneacross.com/ 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #9 Which two continents are separated by the Dardanelles? 0----- 'Stop Stealing Sheep" [new edition] A second improved edition of this best-selling guide to typography has just appeared. It's a book which explains the principles of good type design by showing them in use on the page. For the latest edition, lots of color has been added - and the advice now includes tips on getting the best type effects on web pages, email, and writing for the screen. This is a very successful beginner's guide - because it follows its own advice and makes every page a visual treat. Full details and review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/spiek.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - Question #10 Where would you find an 'oxter'? 0----- 'Writing at Work' [new book] Do you know how to write business letters or office memos? This is a new guide to writing skills which puts its emphasis on clear public communication skills. Robert Barrass covers planning, drafting, writing, and editing a piece of work. He also offers checklists and a useful chapter on using measurements, diagrams, and graphs. How to write a report is covered, plus spoken communication on the phone, in meetings, in interviews, and making presentations. Further details and full review at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/barrass2.htm 0----- What you missed in July-August These are some of the highlights from our last issues which you might have missed whilst on holiday. 'Encyclopedia Britannica on CD' http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/britann.htm 'Digital Graphic Design' [new book] http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/gordon.htm 'Designing Web-based Training' [new book] http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/horton-2.htm 'Web Design Inspirations' [new book] http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/curtis.htm 'Electronic Publications' [new book] http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/cope.htm 0----- New term PUB QUIZ - ANSWERS What prevents food going down your windpipe? ANSWER: Your epiglottis. What do Germans call Bavaria? ANSWER: Bayern Which is the largest of the Balearic islands? ANSWER: Majorca What does a topiarist do? ANSWER: Shapes hedges and bushes Where would you meet Walloons? ANSWER: In Belgium Who wrote 'Roderick Hudson'? ANSWER: Henry James What's another name for hypertension? ANSWER: High blood pressure What is nictation? ANSWER: Winking Which two continents are separated by the Dardanelles? ANSWER: Europe and Asia Where would you find an 'oxter'? ANSWER: Your armpit. 0----- The Last Word - Writing Then, rising with Aurora's light, The muse invoked, sit down to write, Blot out, correct, insert, refine, Enlarge, diminish, interline. Jonathan Swift 0----- COMING SOON 'Creative Web Writing' 'Windows XP in a Nutshell' 'XSLT' and 'XML Schema' 'Using Learning Technologies' 'Dreamweaver 4 in a Nutshell' 'Innovating in Higher Education' (c) Copyright 2002, MANTEX All Rights Reserved PO Box 100 Tel +44 0161 432 5811 Manchester Fax +44 0161 443 2766 M20 6GZ UK www.mantex.co.uk If you like this newsletter, PLEASE FORWARD IT to friends and colleagues. New subscribers should register at the following address -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm FREE BACK ISSUES featuring news items, reviews, and product details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/news/archive.htm Please retain the copyright and list-joining information. It may be posted, in its entirety or partially, to newsgroups or mailing lists, so long as the copyright and list-joining information remains. If you have any requests, observations, or items you would like to be included in our next issues, just mail us at -- news@mantex.co.uk You receive the MANTEX newsletter because you subscribed to it. If you wish to leave the list, go to -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm News-73-September-2002 ISSN 1470-1863 The British Library