Ramblemuse^SM Annotated General Bibliography

Science writers are translators of sorts: they transform the jargon-laden language and arcane concepts of the science world into something the rest of us can understand and even appreciate. For this, they must be able to comprehend (and assess the value of) the science at hand, then simplify, calling into action whatever metaphor and analogy they can find to get the idea across. For this indispensable guidebook, 39 committed and enthusiastic science writers chime in about what their jobs entail. Among them are newspaper reporters, magazine and journal contributors, book authors, and freelance, editorial, and op-ed writers. Specialists relate the intricacies of covering topics such as infectious diseases, neuroscience, the environment, and technology. A final section explores science-writing jobs for colleges and universities, government agencies, museums, and industry.

"JobShift" breaks open our traditional work world. For all employees, executives, and entrepreneurs it reveals the new employment realities and uncovers new opportunities. Read "JobShift" to understand how to generate secure work for yourself next year, and how we'll think about work for the next forty years. The bad news, according to top consultant William Bridges, is that jobs are indeed disappearing. The good news is that a job isn't the only way that people work to earn a good living. In fact, it's no longer the best way. Our idea of a "job" was invented during the Industrial Revolution, and is out of synch with today's technological and economic forces. JobShift shows how we can thrive in our dejobbed future. Its "Career Guide for the 21st-Century Worker" will help you to rethink your work so you can create your own "job security". Start by identifying what you do best. View yourself as a company with many assets. Market yourself to your employers.

When author Bill Bridges's wife died from breast cancer, he began to question all his previous groundbreaking work on transitions. Having conducted seminars and written bestselling books ("Transitions", "Managing Transitions"), Bridges had built a reputation as an expert on the topic. And yet, "I felt now that my words had totally failed to match in depth the experience of actually being in transition," he explains. After floundering in self-doubt for months after his wife died, Bridges embarked on a spiritual pilgrimage through Wales. During his visits to sacred sites, Bridges began to see that he hadn't been misguiding people. Rather, he simply had more to offer on the subject of transition--more depth, more spirit, and above all else, more experience. So at 66 years old he wrote this excellent and highly personal book in which he examines the pain and challenge of transition--how it is a time of letting go of the past while taking hold of the future. Because Bridges weaves his personal story into the narrative he comes off as a wizened sage rather than a cocky aficionado. "Change can come at any time, but transition comes along when one chapter of your life is over and another is waiting in the wings to make its entrance," he begins. "Needless to say it is impossible to imagine a new chapter is starting when your wife's death has just closed down what feels like your whole life. You simply cannot imagine a new chapter. …" Overall, this is a book that offers an abundance of insights without faltering into self-help cliches or specific how-to advice. Instead, Bridges examines the events that bring about transition (marriage, death, change of vocation, tragedy, and crisis) and why it's so important to fully experience these transitions and how they offer opportunities for closure as well as launch pads for enormous personal growth.

Whether you're just starting out, considering going full-time, or are already a successful freelance writer, you'll find the information and insights needed to take your work to the next level in this smart, thorough guide. Compiled by the prestigious American Society of Journalists and Authors, the book's twenty-six chapters cover the business from every angle, tackling the topics every freelancer needs to master in order to make it today. Chapters cover: planning a writing business, generating fresh ideas, the secrets of a successful magazine query, the latest research tools and techniques, writing for the Web, developing areas of specialization, promoting yourself and your work, op-eds, essays, and other ways to leverage your knowledge, contracts, taxes and deductions, working with editors and agents, going full-time, key lessons you won't have to learn the hard way, and more. Written by twenty-six of the top freelancers working today, this indispensable guide provides trade secrets that others have learned the hard way, inspiration to take your work where you want it to go, and a revealing view into the minds and working habits of freelance writers at the top of their game.

The author delves into the science, psychology, and art of wilderness survival. His analysis is riveting, his conclusions startling. After her plane crashes, a seventeen-year-old girl spends eleven days walking through the Peruvian jungle. Against all odds, with no food, shelter, or equipment, she gets out. A better-equipped group of adult survivors of the same crash sits down and dies. What makes the difference? Examining such stories of miraculous endurance and tragic death — how people get into trouble and how they get out again (or not) — "Deep Survival" takes us from the tops of snowy mountains and the depths of oceans to the workings of the brain that control our behavior. Through close analysis of case studies, Laurence Gonzales describes the essence of a survivor and offers twelve "Rules of Survival." In the end, he finds, it's what's in your heart, not what's in your pack, that separates the living from the dead. Fascinating for any reader, and absolutely essential for anyone who takes a hike in the woods, this book will change the way we understand ourselves and the great outdoors.

This comprehensive book covers everything an aspiring interviewer needs to know from developing listening and observation skills to conducting interviews by electronic mail and surfing the Internet for story ideas. "Creative Interviewing" aids readers by using examples and anecdotal accounts of actual professional experiences. Readers are provided with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare for and conduct a strong interview, how to obtain dramatic anecdotes from sources, how to build conversational rapport, how to conduct interviews for broadcast, and how to cope with the dynamics of a series of interviews on a certain topic. For any professional who wishes to improve their interviewing skills.

So you want to be a consultant? This practical, friendly guide shows you how to get your business off the ground and running smoothly, with the latest on developing a marketable idea, running your home office, writing winning proposals, selling your services, and getting referrals. You get expert tips on setting fees, keeping track of time and money, and building business with new clients. Start a successful consulting business, build partnerships with clients, handle financial and legal issues, make great presentations, negotiate contracts, and promote your business.

Considering a career in freelance writing? Already a freelancer but seeking practical, solid advice on the basics of the business? "Get a Freelance Life" is the complete guide to all aspects of a freelance writing career, straight from the creators of mediabistro. com — the nation’s most connected, authoritative source for media professionals. Learn how to: write compelling pitch letter, network with the best in the magazine and newspaper industry, understand the freelance market and detect its changes, self-edit and rewrite your work, manage tight deadlines, negotiate contracts, and survive the financial ups and downs of the freelance life. With plenty of insider advice and tips from the most successful freelance writers and editors in the country, "Get a Freelance Life" is a must-have resource for turning your freelance gigs into a full-fledged writing career.

If you are a consultant, or if you ever use a consultant, "The Secrets of Consulting" is for you. Gerald M Weinberg draws on his 25 years of experience as an author, lecturer, and consultant to share his secrets about the often irrational world of consulting. Using memorable rules, laws, and principles to make his points, Weinberg offers wise and witty advice on how to succeed in this highly competitive profession. Among the topics are pricing and marketing your services, measuring your effectiveness, and dealing with client resistance.