Technical Communication—International: Today and in the Future (Hennig, J. and Tjarks-Sobhani, M., Eds.; 2005)

This soft-cover text provides an interesting look at technical communication around the world on a country-by-country basis. The authors generally follow the same sequence of questions, but not always. Deviations from this sequence can cause some problems when the reader is trying to compare two or more countries´ laws, educational programs, or salary structures. The volume would have been more convenient as a reference text if the editors had merged the individual reports into a sequence of chapters covering the material. There is a recurring theme of educational requirements for the technical documentation writer and the fundamental lack of formal education of this type in most of the countries discussed. Even with its noted drawbacks, the book is informative and a good read for those who have chosen technical communication as a career path.