Textbook Successful Writing at Work Philip C Kolin Ebook All Chapter PDF

Successful Writing at Work Philip C.
Kolin
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://textbookfull.com/product/successful-writing-at-work-philip-c-kolin/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...
Values at Work: Sustainable Investing and ESG Reporting

Daniel C. Esty
https://textbookfull.com/product/values-at-work-sustainable-
investing-and-esg-reporting-daniel-c-esty/
Writing Successful Science Proposals Andrew J.

Friedland
https://textbookfull.com/product/writing-successful-science-
proposals-andrew-j-friedland/
Data Professionals at Work Malathi Mahadevan
https://textbookfull.com/product/data-professionals-at-work-
malathi-mahadevan/
Employee Voice at Work Peter Holland
https://textbookfull.com/product/employee-voice-at-work-peter-
holland/
Queer at Work 1st Edition Sasmita Palo
https://textbookfull.com/product/queer-at-work-1st-edition-
sasmita-palo/
Literacy and Orality at Work Frank Sligo
https://textbookfull.com/product/literacy-and-orality-at-work-
frank-sligo/
Practical Numerical C Programming 1st Edition Philip

Joyce
https://textbookfull.com/product/practical-numerical-c-
programming-1st-edition-philip-joyce/
The Antichrist A New Biography Philip C. Almond
https://textbookfull.com/product/the-antichrist-a-new-biography-
philip-c-almond/
Successful College Writing with 2016 MLA Update 6th

Edition Kathleen T. Mcwhorter
https://textbookfull.com/product/successful-college-writing-
with-2016-mla-update-6th-edition-kathleen-t-mcwhorter/
Successful Writing at Work
Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
iii
Successful Writing at Work

Eleventh Edition
Philip C. Kolin
University of Southern Mississippi
Australia ● Brazil ● Mexico ● Singapore ● United Kingdom ● United States
This is an electronic version of the print textbook. Due to electronic rights restrictions, some third party content may be suppressed. Editorial
review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. The publisher reserves the right to
remove content from this title at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. For valuable information on pricing, previous
editions, changes to current editions, and alternate formats, please visit www.cengage.com/highered to search by
ISBN#, author, title, or keyword for materials in your areas of interest.
Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the eBook version.
Successful Writing at Work, © 2017, 2013, 2010 Cengage Learning
Eleventh Edition WCN: 02-200-203
Philip C. Kolin
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright
herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form
For Kristin, Eric, and Theresa or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not
Evan Philip and Megan Elise limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, web
Erica Marie distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval
Julie and Loretta systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976
Ethlyn United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of
and the publisher.
MARY
For product information and technology assistance, contact us at

Product Director: Monica Eckman Cengage Learning Customer & Sales Support, 1-800-354-9706
Product Team Manager: Nicole Morinon For permission to use material from this text or product,
Product Manager: Kate Derrick submit all requests online at www.cengage.com/permissions.
Further permissions questions can be emailed to
Content Developer: Ed Dodd
permissionrequest@cengage.com.
Managing Content Developer:
Cara Douglass-Graff
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015947469
Senior Content Developer: Jessica Badiner
Student Edition:
Associate Content Developer: Erin Bosco ISBN-13: 978-1-305-66761-7
Product Assistant: Mario Davila Loose-leaf Edition:
Marketing Director: Stacey Purviance ISBN-13: 978-1-305-67173-7
Associate Marketing Manager:
Jameson Walsh
Cengage Learning
Senior Content Project Manager: 20 Channel Center Street
Michael Lepera Boston, MA 02210
Senior Art Director: Marissa Falco USA
Manufacturing Planner: Betsy Donaghey
IP Analyst: Ann Hoffman Cengage Learning is a leading provider of customized learning solutions
IP Project Manager: Farah Fard with employees residing in nearly 40 different countries and sales in
more than 125 countries around the world. Find your local representative
Production Service/Compositor:
at www.cengage.com.
MPS Limited
Text and Cover Designer:
Liz Harasymczuk Design Cengage Learning products are represented in Canada by Nelson
Education, Ltd.
Cover Image: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend
Images/Getty Images
To learn more about Cengage Learning Solutions, visit www.cengage.com.
Purchase any of our products at your local college store or at our preferred
online store www.cengagebrain.com.
Printed in the United States of America

Print Number: 01 Print Year: 2015
Contents
Preface xxi
Part I: Backgrounds 2
Chapter 1: Getting Started: Writing and Your Career 4

Writing—An Essential Job Skill 4
How Writing Relates to Other Skills 4
The High Cost of Effective Writing 5
How This Book Will Help You 5
Writing for the Global Marketplace 5
Competing for International Business 6
Communicating with Global Audiences 6
Seeing the World Through the Eyes of Another Culture 6
Cultural Diversity at Home 7
Tech Note: Know Your Computer at Work 8
Using International English 10
Four Keys to Effective Writing 11
Identifying Your Audience 11
Some Questions to Ask About Your Audience 14
Case Study: Writing to Different Audiences in a Large Corporation 15
Establishing Your Purpose 16
Formulating Your Message 17
Selecting Your Style and Tone 17
Case Study: Adapting a Description of Heparin for Two Different
Audiences 18
Characteristics of Job-Related Writing 20
1. Providing Practical Information 20
2. Giving Facts, Not Impressions 20
3. Supplying Visuals to Clarify and Condense Information 21
4. Giving Accurate Measurements 22
5. Stating Responsibilities Precisely 23
6. Persuading and Offering Recommendations 23
v
vi Contents
Ethical Writing in the Workplace 26

Employers Insist on and Monitor Ethical Behavior 26
Ethical Requirements on the Job 27
Online Ethics 29
Cyberbullying 30
“Thinking Green”: Making Ethical Choices About the
Environment 31
International Readers and Ethics 31
Some Guidelines to Help You Reach Ethical Decisions 32
Ethical Dilemmas: Some Scenarios 34
Writing Ethically on the Job 35
Successful Employees Are Successful Writers 38
Revision Checklist 38
Exercises 39
Chapter 2: The Writing Process at Work 44

What Writing Is and Is Not 44
What Writing Is 44
What Writing Is Not 45
The Writing Process 45
Researching 45
Planning 46
Drafting 50
Key Questions to Ask as You Draft 50
Guidelines for Successful Drafting 50
Tech Note: Drafting 51
Revising 54
Allow Enough Time to Revise 55
Revision Is Rethinking 55
Key Questions to Ask as You Revise 55
Tech Note: Revising 56
Case Study: A “Before” and “After” Revision
of a Short Report 57
Editing 59
Editing Guidelines for Writing Lean and Clear Sentences 59
Tech Note: Editing 60
Editing Guidelines for Cutting Out Unnecessary Words 62
Editing Guidelines to Eliminate Sexist Language 65
Ways to Avoid Sexist Language 66
Avoiding Other Types of Stereotypical Language 68
The Writing Process: Some Final Thoughts 69
Contents vii
Exercises 70
Chapter 3: Collaborative Writing and Meetings

in the Workplace 75
Collaboration Is Crucial to the Writing Process 75
Advantages of Collaborative Writing 76
Collaborative Writing and the Writing Process 77
Case Study: Collaborative Writing and Editing 78
Some Guidelines for Successful Group Writing 79
Ten Proven Ways to Be a Valuable Team Player 80
Sources of Conflict in Group Dynamics and How to Solve Them 81
Common Problems, Practical Solutions 81
Models for Collaboration 83
Cooperative Model 84
Sequential Model 84
Functional Model 87
Integrated Model 87
Case Study: Evolution of a Collaboratively
Written Document 89
Computer-Supported Collaboration 95
Advantages of Computer-Supported Collaboration 96
Groupware and Face-to-Face Meetings 96
Types of Groupware 96
Email 96
Document Tracking Software 97
Web-Based Collaboration Systems 97
Case Study: Using Google Docs as a Collaboration Tool 100
Models for Computer-Supported Collaboration 102
Avoiding Problems with Online Collaboration 103
Meetings 103
Planning a Meeting 103
Tech Note: Virtual Meetings 104
Creating an Agenda 105
Observing Courtesy at a Group Meeting 105
Writing the Minutes 105
Tech Note: Videoconferencing with Skype 106
Conclusion 109
Exercises 111
viii Contents
Part II: Correspondence 114

Chapter 4: E-Communications at Work:
Email, Blogs, Messaging, and Social Media 116
The Flow of Information through E-Communications 116
Differences Among E-Communications 117
E-Communications Are Legal Records 117
Legal/Ethical Guidelines to Follow in Writing E-Communications 117
Email: Its Importance in the Workplace 118
Business Email Versus Personal Email 119
Guidelines for Using Email on the Job 120
When Not to Use Email 124
Blogs 125
Blogs Are Interactive 125
Blog Sponsors 127
Two Types of Blogs 127
Guidelines for Writing Business Blogs 129
Case Study: Writing a Blog to Keep Customer Goodwill 133
Messaging 135
Messages 135
When to Use Messages Versus Emails 136
Guidelines for Using Messages in the Workplace 137
Text Messages 138
Writing for Social Media in the Workplace 139
How Social Media Helps Business 140
Staying Connected on Social Media Sites 142
Know Your Customers and What They Like 143
Choose Your Content Carefully 144
Style 144
How to Respond to Criticism 145
Visuals 145
Conclusion 147
Exercises 149
Chapter 5: Writing Letters:

Some Basics for Communicating with Audiences Worldwide 152
Essential Advice on Writing Effective Letters 152
Letters in the Age of the Internet 153
Different Ways to Send Letters 154
Contents ix
Letter Formats 155
Full-Block Format 155
Modified-Block Format 155
Semi-Block Format 155
Continuing Pages 157
Parts of a Letter 158
Heading 159
Date Line 159
Inside Address 159
Salutation 159
Body of the Letter 160
Complimentary Close 160
Signature 160
Enclosure Line 162
Copy Notation 162
The Appearance of Your Letter 162
Envelopes 163
Organizing a Standard Business Letter 164
Making a Good Impression on Your Reader 164
Achieving the “You Attitude”: Four Guidelines 167
International Business Correspondence 169
Ten Guidelines for Communicating with International Readers 169
Case Study: Writing to Readers from a Different Culture 173
Respecting Readers’ Nationality and Ethnic/Racial Heritage 176
Case Study: Writing to a Client from a Different Culture: Two Versions of a
Sales Letter 177
Sending Professional-Quality Letters:
Some Final Advice to Seal Your Success 181
Exercises 183
Chapter 6: Types of Business Letters and Memos 187

Formulating Your Message 187
Letter Writers Play Key Roles 188
Letters and Collaboration at Work 188
The Five Most Common Types of Business Letters 189
Inquiry Letters 189
Cover Letters 191
Special Request Letters 191
Sales Letters 192
Preliminary Guidelines 192
x Contents
Tech Note: Mail Merge 194

The Four A’s of Sales Letters 194
Customer Relations Letters 198
Diplomacy and Reader Psychology 199
The Customers Always Write 199
Being Direct or Indirect 199
Case Study: Two Versions of a Bad News Message 200
Follow-Up Letters 203
Complaint Letters 203
Adjustment Letters 208
Refusal-of-Credit Letters 215
Collection Letters 217
Memos 220
Memo Protocol and Company Politics 220
Sending Memos: Email or Hard Copy? 221
Memo Format 221
Memo Parts 221
Questions Your Memo Needs to Answer for Readers 222
Memo Style and Tone 224
Strategies for Organizing a Memo 224
Organizational Markers 226
Writing Business Letters and Memos That Matter: A Summary 228
Exercises 231
Chapter 7: How to Get a Job: Searches, Networking, Dossiers,

Portfolios/Webfolios, Résumés, Transitioning to a Civilian Job,
Letters, and Interviews 236
Steps an Employer Takes When Hiring 236
Steps to Follow to Get Hired 237
Analyzing Your Strengths and Restricting Your Job Search 237
Enhancing Your Professional Image 238
Looking in the Right Places for a Job 239
Using Online Social and Professional Networking Sites in Your Job Search 242
Finding Jobs Through Networking Sites 242
Using Facebook to Start Your Network 243
LinkedIn 244
Promoting Your Best Image—Some Do’s and Don’ts 245
Dossiers and Letters of Recommendation 251
Obtaining Letters of Recommendation 251
Career Portfolios/Webfolios 252
Contents xi
What Not to Include in a Career Portfolio/Webfolio 254

Career Portfolio/Webfolio Formats 254
Preparing a Résumé 254
What Employers Like to See in a Résumé 254
The Process of Writing Your Résumé 257
Parts of a Résumé 260
Organizing Your Résumé 265
Transitioning into the Civilian Workforce 266
Using a Civilian Résumé Format, Language, and Context 269
The Digital Résumé 271
Things to Keep in Mind when Preparing a Digital Résumé 272
Ways to Submit Your Digital Résumé 272
Making Your Digital Résumé Ready for Applicant Tracking Systems 276
Case Study: Creating a Digital Résumé for a Job Search 276
Making Your Résumé Cybersafe 279
Testing, Proofreading, and Sending Your Digital Résumé 279
Letters of Application 280
How Application Letters and Résumés Differ 280
Writing the Letter of Application 281
Going to an Interview 288
Being Ready for a Phone Interview 288
Preparing for an Interview 288
Tech Note: Skype Interviews 289
Questions to Expect at Your Interview 290
What Do I Say About Salary? 292
Questions You May Ask the Interviewer(s) 292
What Interviewer(s) Can’t Ask You 293
Ten Interview Do’s and Don’ts 293
The Follow-Up Letter 294
Keep a Job Search Record 294
Accepting or Declining a Job Offer 296
Searching for the Right Job Pays 296
Exercises 297
Part III: Gathering and Summarizing Information 302

Chapter 8: Doing Research, Evaluating Sources, and
Preparing Documentation in the Workplace 304
Skills Necessary to Do Research 304
Characteristics of Effective Workplace Research 305
xii Contents
The Research Process 305

Two Types of Research: Primary and Secondary 306
Conducting Primary Research 306
Doing Secondary Research 307
Methods of Primary versus Secondary Research 307
Primary Research 307
Direct Observation, Site Visits, and Tests 307
Interviews and Focus Groups 308
Surveys 313
Case Study: The WH eComm Survey 315
Secondary Research 319
Libraries 319
Tech Note: Intranets 321
Databases 323
Reference Materials 324
Tech Note: Gray Literature 328
Internet Searches 329
How to Conduct Keyword Searches: Some Guidelines 330
Evaluating Websites 331
The Importance of Note Taking 333
How to Take Effective Notes 333
What to Record 334
To Quote or Not to Quote 334
Tech Note: Electronic Note-Taking Software 335
Documenting Sources 337
The Ethics of Documentation: Determining What to Cite 337
Parenthetical Documentation 339
Preparing MLA Works Cited and APA References Lists 340
Sample Entries in MLA Works Cited and APA
References Lists 340
A Business Research Report 347
Conclusion 363
Exercises 365
Chapter 9: Summarizing Information at Work 372

Summaries in the Information Age 372
The Importance of Summaries in Business 373
Contents of a Summary 373
What to Include in a Summary 374
What to Omit from a Summary 374
Contents xiii
Preparing a Summary 374

Tech Note: Using Software to Summarize Documents 375
Make Sure Your Summary Is Ethical 376
Case Study: Summarizing an Original Article 376
Executive Summaries 383
What Managers Want to See in an Executive Summary 383
Organization of an Executive Summary 384
Evaluative Summaries 385
Guidelines for Writing a Successful Evaluative
Summary 385
Evaluating the Content 386
Evaluating the Style 386
Abstracts 387
Differences Between a Summary and an Abstract 387
Writing an Informative Abstract 389
Writing a Descriptive Abstract 389
Writing Successful News Releases 390
Subjects Appropriate for News Releases 390
News Releases About Bad News 390
Organization of a News Release 390
Conclusion 392
Exercises 393
Part IV: Preparing Documents and Visuals 398

Chapter 10: Designing Clear Visuals 400
Visual Thinking in the Global Workplace 400
The Purpose of Visuals 401
Types of Visuals and Their Functions 402
Choosing Effective Visuals 402
Ineffective Visuals: What Not to Do 406
Generating, Scanning, and Uploading Visuals 407
Inserting and Writing About Visuals: Some Guidelines 407
Identify Your Visuals 407
Cite the Source for Your Visuals 408
Insert Your Visuals Appropriately 408
Introduce Your Visuals 409
Interpret Your Visuals 409
Two Categories of Visuals: Tables and Figures 410
xiv Contents
Tables 410
Parts of a Table 410
Guidelines for Using Tables 410
Figures 412
Graphs 412
Charts 414
Pictographs 421
Maps 423
Photographs 424
Tech Note: Using Photoshop® 427
Drawings 428
Clip Art 430
Infographics 431
Using Visuals Ethically 433
Guidelines for Using Visuals Ethically 434
Using Appropriate Visuals for International Audiences 436
Visuals Do Not Always Translate from One Culture to Another 439
Guidelines for Using Visuals for International Audiences 439
Conclusion 441
Exercises 442
Chapter 11: Designing Successful Documents

and Websites 448
Characteristics of Effective Design 448
Organizing Information Visually 449
The ABCs of Print Document Design 449
Page Layout 449
Typography 454
Heads and Subheads 456
Graphics 458
Using Color 459
Desktop Publishing 459
Type 460
Templates 460
Graphics 460
Case Study: Designing a Company Newsletter:
Advice from a Pro 462
Before Choosing a Design 463
Writing for and Designing Websites 464
Web Versus Print Readers 465
Contents xv
Case Study: Differences between Print Document Organization and

Website Organization 465
Preparing a Successful Home Page 467
Designing and Writing for the Web: Eight Guidelines 468
Tech Note: Website Accessibility 471
Tech Note: Website Design Templates 473
Creating Storyboards for Websites and Other Documents 473
Four Rules of Effective Page Design: A Wrap-Up 475
Exercises 476
Chapter 12: Writing Instructions and Procedures 480

Instructions, Procedures, and Your Job 480
Why Instructions Are Important 480
Safety 481
Efficiency 481
Convenience 481
The Variety of Instructions: A Brief Overview 482
Assessing and Meeting Your Audience’s Needs 484
Key Questions to Ask About Your Audience 485
Writing Instructions for International Audiences 486
Using Word-Processing Software to Help You
Design Instructions 486
The Process of Writing Instructions 487
Plan Your Steps 487
Perform a Trial Run 487
Case Study: Meeting Your Audience’s Needs 488
Write and Test Your Draft 489
Revise and Edit 490
Using the Right Style 490
Using Visuals Effectively 491
Guidelines for Using Visuals in Instructions 492
The Six Parts of Instructions 493
Introduction 493
List of Equipment and Materials 494
Steps for Your Instructions 494
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes 497
Conclusion 499
Troubleshooting Guide 499
Model of Full Set of Instructions 499
xvi Contents
Writing Procedures for Policies and Regulations 510

Some Examples of Procedures 510
Meeting the Needs of Your Marketplace 511
Case Study: Writing Procedures at Work 511
Some Final Advice 514
Exercises 515
Chapter 13: Writing Winning Proposals 518

Proposals Are Persuasive Plans 519
Proposals Frequently Are Collaborative Efforts 520
Types of Proposals 520
Solicited Proposals and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) 520
Unsolicited Proposals 523
Internal and External Proposals 523
Tech Note: Finding U.S. Government RFPs Online 523
Eight Guidelines for Writing a Successful Proposal 524
Tech Note: Document Design and Your Proposal 525
Internal Proposals 526
Some Common Topics for Internal Proposals 526
Following the Proper Chain of Command 527
Ethically Anticipating and Resolving Corporate Readers’ Problems 527
Case Study: Drafting an Internal Proposal to Create a Mobile App for a Health
Food Store 528
Organization of an Internal Proposal 529
Sales Proposals 536
Knowing Your Audience and Meeting Its Needs 536
Being Ethical and Legal 536
Organization of a Sales Proposal 539
Proposals for Research Reports 542
Organization of a Proposal for a Research Report 542
A Final Reminder 548
Exercises 550
Chapter 14: Writing Effective Short Reports 554

Why Short Reports Are Important 554
Types of Short Reports 555
Eight Guidelines for Writing Short Reports 555
Contents xvii
1. Anticipate How an Audience Will Use Your Report 556

Tech Note: Creating Templates for Short Reports 556
2. Do the Necessary Research 557
3. Be Objective and Ethical 557
Tech Note: Using the Web to Do Research for Short Reports 558
4. Organize Carefully 558
5. Write Clearly and Concisely 560
6. Create a Reader-Centered Design 560
7. Include Visuals/Graphics/Tables Only When They Are Needed 561
8. Choose the Most Appropriate Format 561
Periodic Reports 561
Sales Reports 561
Case Study: A Poor and an Effective Short Report 562
Progress Reports 567
Audience for Progress Reports 567
Frequency of Progress Reports 568
Parts of a Progress Report 568
Employee Activity/Performance Reports 571
Guidelines for Writing an Activity Report 571
Trip/Travel Reports 573
Questions Your Trip/Travel Report Needs to Answer 573
Common Types of Trip/Travel Reports 573
Test Reports 579
Case Study: Two Sample Test Reports 579
Questions Your Test Report Needs to Answer 583
Incident Reports 584
When to Submit an Incident Report 584
Parts of an Incident Report 584
Protecting Yourself Legally 586
Short Reports: Some Final Thoughts 587
Exercises 590
Chapter 15: Writing Careful Long Reports 594

Characteristics of a Long Report 595
Scope 595
Research 595
Format 596
Timetable 596
Audience 596
Collaborative Effort 597
xviii Contents
Tech Note: Using Government-Sponsored Research 597

The Process of Writing a Long Report 598
Parts of a Long Report 599
Numbering the Pages of a Long Report 599
Front Matter 599
Text of the Report 602
Back Matter 605
A Model Long Report 605
Final Words of Advice About Long Reports 621
Exercises 622
Chapter 16: Making Successful Presentations at Work 624

Writing a Document Versus Making a Presentation 624
Types of Presentations 625
For Your Customers or Clients 625
For Your Boss 625
For Your Co-Workers 625
For Community Leaders or Groups 626
Informal Briefings 626
Formal Presentations 627
Analyzing Your Audience 627
The Parts of Formal Presentations 629
Presentation Software 635
Noncomputerized Presentations 638
Rehearsing Your Presentation 639
Delivering Your Presentation 639
Evaluating Presentations 642
Exercises 644
Appendix: A Writer’s Brief Guide to Paragraphs,

Sentences, and Words A-1
Paragraphs A-1
Writing a Well-Developed Paragraph A-1
Supply a Topic Sentence A-1
Three Characteristics of an Effective Paragraph A-2
Sentences A-5
Constructing and Punctuating Sentences A-5
What Makes a Sentence A-5
Avoiding Sentence Fragments A-6
Contents xix
Correcting Comma Splices A-7

Making Subjects and Verbs Agree in Your Sentences A-9
Writing Sentences That Say What You Mean A-10
Using Pronoun References Correctly A-12
Words A-12
Spelling Words Correctly A-12
Using Apostrophes Correctly A-12
Inserting Hyphens Properly A-13
Using Ellipses A-14
Using Numerals Versus Words A-14
Matching the Right Word with the Right Meaning A-14
Proofreading Marks A-19
Index I-1
Preface
Successful Writing at Work, Eleventh Edition, is a practical, comprehensive intro-
ductory text for business, technical, professional, and occupational writing courses.
Regardless of a student’s career choice, writing is a vital part of virtually every job,
and as readers of earlier editions have learned, Successful Writing at Work can help
them become better writers while they also learn to develop and design effective
workplace documents for multicultural, global audiences. Successful Writing at
Work, Eleventh Edition, is organized to take students step-by-step from the basic
concepts of audience analysis, purpose, message, style, and tone to the processes
of researching, drafting, revising, formatting/designing, and editing. Students will
learn to write a variety of job-related documents, from emails, social media posts,
and correspondence to more complex instructions, proposals, reports, websites,
and presentations.
Building on Past Editions

Benefiting from the feedback of instructors, students, and employers over many
editions, this revised Eleventh Edition continues to give students detailed, clear
guidelines for preparing well-organized and readable business documents. More-
over, because effective models are critical for learning new skills, students will find
a wide range of realistic, up-to-date, and rhetorically diverse examples (all of them
annotated and visually varied) demonstrating the function, scope, format, and orga-
nization of numerous documents for audiences with differing needs. Each of these
model documents focuses directly on practical issues in the world of work and por-
trays employees as successful writers, either individually or as part of a collabora-
tive writing group. Furthermore, this new edition fully covers a broad spectrum of
current workplace technologies and considerations, such as social media, messag-
ing, Google Docs, professional networking sites, Skype, and Prezi.
Versatility of New Eleventh Edition

As in past editions, this Eleventh Edition is as versatile as it is comprehensive.
Full enough for a sixteen-week semester, it can also be easily adapted to shorter
six-, eight-, or ten-week courses. Successful Writing at Work, Eleventh Edition,
is designed to go beyond classroom applications: It is a ready reference that stu-
dents can easily carry with them as they begin or advance in the workplace. As
students will discover, this edition maintains the reputation of former editions by xxi
xxii Preface
including numerous practical applications in each book chapter and also in the
MindTap Reader version of the text. It can be as useful to readers with little or no
job experience as to those with years of experience in one or several fields. This
edition also addresses the needs of students re-entering the job market or chang-
ing careers.
Distinctive Approach of Successful Writing at Work

The distinctive approach that in the past has made Successful Writing at Work
a student-friendly text in the contemporary workplace continues to be empha-
sized and expanded in this Eleventh Edition. This approach, stressing up-to-date
strategies for teaching business, technical, and professional writing, can be found
throughout this new edition.
●● Analyzing audiences. The Eleventh Edition focuses on the importance of
audience analysis and the writer’s obligation to achieve the “you attitude”
in every workplace document. In addition, the concept of audience extends
to readers worldwide, as well as to non-native speakers of English, whether
as co-workers, employers, clients, or representatives of various agencies and
organizations. Memos, emails, social media posts, letters, résumés, reports,
presentations, and other documents are written, designed, organized, and
introduced with the intended audience(s) in mind.
●● Seeing writing as a problem-solving activity. The Eleventh Edition con-
tinues to approach writing not merely as a set of rules and formats but as
a problem-solving activity in which employees meet the needs of their em-
ployers, co-workers, customers, clients, community groups, and vendors
worldwide by getting to the bottom line. This approach to writing, intro-
duced in Chapter 1 and carried throughout the text, helps students to think
through the writing process by asking the key questions of who (who is the
audience?), why (why do they need this document?), what (what is the mes-
sage?), and how (how can the writer present the most appropriate style, tone,
and format?). As in earlier editions, this Eleventh Edition teaches students
how to develop the critical skills necessary for planning, drafting, revising,
editing, and formatting a variety of documents. To help them, numerous case
studies and figures demonstrate how writers answer these key questions to
solve problems in the world of work.
●● Being an ethical employee. Companies expect their employees to behave
and write ethically. As in earlier editions, the Eleventh Edition reinforces
and expands discussions of ethical writing practices in almost every chap-
ter. Beginning with enhanced coverage of ethical writing and solving ethi-
cal dilemmas at work, Chapter 1 further stresses “Ethical Writing in the
Workplace.” Subsequent chapters offer practical guidelines on and numer-
ous examples of documents that illustrate the types of ethical choices work-
ers must make in the business world. Special attention is given to editing to
avoid sexism and biased language in Chapter 2; working cooperatively with a
Preface xxiii
collaborative writing team in Chapter 3; making ethical choices when writing

e-communications, including email, messages, blogs, and social media posts
in Chapter 4; drafting diplomatic letters in Chapters 5 and 6; preparing hon-
est, realistic résumés and webfolios in Chapter 7; conducting truthful, objec-
tive, and carefully documented research in Chapter 8; using and constructing
unbiased visuals and ethical websites in Chapters 10 and 11; preparing safe,
legal instructions and procedures in Chapter 12; writing honest proposals
and reports in Chapters 13 to 15; and making clear and accurate presenta-
tions in Chapter 16.
●● Writing for the global marketplace. Effective employees must write for
a variety of readers, both in the United States and across the globe. Con-
sequently, this new Eleventh Edition throughout emphasizes writing for
international readers and non-native speakers of English. The needs and
expectations of these international audiences receive special attention in the
Eleventh Edition, starting in “Writing for the Global Marketplace” in Chap-
ter 1 and continuing with coverage of writing letters for international speak-
ers of English in Chapter 5, designing appropriate visuals and documents
for this audience in Chapter 10, preparing clear instructions in Chapter 12,
and making presentations for global audiences in Chapter 16. Especially im-
portant is the long report in Chapter 15 on the role international workers
play in a corporation that must meet their needs and those of their clients
worldwide.
●● Viewing student readers as business professionals. To encourage students
in their job-related writing, this new Eleventh Edition treats them as pro-
fessionals seeking success at different phases of their business. Students are
asked to place themselves in the workplace setting (or, in the case of Chap-
ter 7, in the role of job seekers) as they approach each topic, to understand
the differences between workplace and academic writing better. Chapter 1
gives them an orientation to the kinds of corporate culture and protocols
that they might find in the early days of their employment. Students are then
asked to see themselves as members of a collaborative team drafting and de-
veloping an important workplace document in Chapter 3; in Chapters 4 to 6
they write to fellow employees and superiors and represent their company
through routine e-communications and respectful and diplomatic correspon-
dence; in Chapters 10 and 11 they are co-workers designing documents, visu-
als, and websites; in Chapters 12 through 15 they are employees designing
and writing more complex documents, such as instructions, proposals, and
reports; and in Chapter 16 they are company representatives making presen-
tations before co-workers and potential clients worldwide.
●● Using the latest workplace technologies. This new edition offers the most
current coverage of communication technologies for writing successfully in
the rapidly changing world of work, including social media (such as Face-
book, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr, YouTube, and Yelp),
email, messaging, wikis, document tracking systems, Google Docs, busi-
ness blogs, tablets, smartphones, videoconferencing tools, and presentation
xxiv Preface
software such as PowerPoint and Prezi. Coverage of these technologies is

integrated into each chapter through Tech Notes, Case Studies, sample docu-
ments, and text discussion, and Chapter 4 illustrates many of these new tech-
nologies in action. Easy-to-understand explanations and annotated models
throughout this edition assist students in discovering the hows as well as the
whys of writing and using visuals for the digital world of work.
●● Commitment to ecology. The Eleventh Edition continues to stress envi-
ronmental issues and greening the workplace though a section in Chapter 1
(“Thinking Green: Making Ethical Choices About the Environment”), in-
structions on fixing a leaky faucet and installing solar panels in Chapter 12, a
progress report emphasizing the use of solar energy in Chapter 14, and sev-
eral other sample documents and Exercises throughout the text.
Overview of Major Changes in the Eleventh Edition

In response to reviewer feedback and that of instructors and their students, the new
Eleventh Edition has undergone some major changes to make it more useable and
effective:
●● This new edition has been streamlined, shortened, updated, and redesigned
to provide essential and current coverage of major communication strategies
with real-world examples that students need to succeed in today’s e-world
of work. Chapter 8, for example, has been thoroughly revised to make it
even more student-friendly, retaining only the most important informa-
tion students need to conduct research and properly evaluate and docu-
ment sources in the workplace. The discussion of memos has been moved
to Chapter 6 to show how letters and memos work together in the business
world.
●● The new edition features a strong emphasis on and integration of social me-
dia throughout, including a new section on cyberbullying in Chapter 1, a sec-
tion on ethical guidelines to follow when writing for social media and other
e-communications in Chapter 4, a new section in Chapter 4 that highlights
how to write effectively in the medium and includes examples of Facebook
and Twitter posts, examples of Facebook and LinkedIn profiles and a list of
social media “do’s and don’ts” when looking for a job in Chapter 7, an ex-
tended example showing how social media can help rent units in a new apart-
ment complex in the updated business report in Chapter 8, examples of how
social media can help shape proposals in Chapter 13, and a discussion of how
it can influence the findings in a long report in Chapter 15.
●● The use of tablets and smartphones in the workplace has been included and
addressed throughout the text, including a discussion of their use in e- and
m-communications in Chapter 4. The rise of m-commerce is also addressed
in proposals in Chapter 13 and a short report in Chapter 14. Additionally,
many exercises have been revised throughout the text to showcase the impor-
tance of these communication tools.
Preface xxv
●● Many new Tech Notes and exercises have been added, as well as new Case
Studies tied to technology. All existing Tech Notes have been updated with
the latest information and technological advances.
●● Now available with MindTap! MindTap is the digital learning solution that
helps instructors engage and transform today’s students into critical think-
ers, communicators, and writers. Numerous real-world examples and strong
visuals come to life in the MindTap Reader, where students can search, high-
light, and take notes, right on the text. Students build grammar, mechanics,
and writing skills with interactive activities and apply those skills to project
and writing assignments. A variety of writing and research apps allow stu-
dents to collaborate and improve their research. Instructors can customize
the course by blending their own materials with curated content, and in-
corporate additional examples and models, as desired. An easy-to-use paper
management system allows for submission, grading, peer review, and pla-
giarism prevention. With MindTap for Successful Writing at Work, Eleventh
Edition, students reveal mastery of the text’s skills and strategies to find their
voice as professional writers.
Chapter-by-Chapter Updates
Here, then, chapter-by-chapter, are the specific new additions and features of the
Eleventh Edition.
Chapter 1 Getting Started: Writing and Your Career

●● Revised case study on adapting technical information to meet the needs of
diverse audiences within a corporate setting
●● Revised section, “Employers Insist on and Monitor Ethical Behavior”
●● Expanded discussion in “Ethical Requirements on the Job”
●● New section, “Cyberbullying”
●● Further attention to solving ethical dilemmas in the workplace
●● Revised Tech Note, “Know Your Computer at Work”
●● Revised section, “Using International English” with expanded guidelines
Chapter 2 The Writing Process at Work

●● Enhanced coverage of drafting, revising, and editing on the job
●● Revised, updated case study, “A ‘Before’ and ‘After’ Revision of a Short
Report”
●● Revised Tech Notes on “Drafting,” “Revising,” and “Editing”
●● Updated advice on avoiding stereotypical language, including eliminating
sexism
Chapter 3 Collaborative Writing and Meetings in the Workplace

●● Increased emphasis on being a team player in the world of work
●● Greater attention to collaborative communication technologies
xxvi Preface
●● Heavily revised Case Study on collaboratively written documents

●● Revised sections, case studies, and figures illustrating the use of Track
Changes in Microsoft Word and Google Docs for collaborative writing
●● New Tech Note, “Virtual Meetings”
●● Revised Tech Note, “Videoconferencing with Skype”
●● New coverage on using social media with collaboration (including office col-
laboration software like Yammer, FB@Work, and Slack)
●● New section on preparing for and conducting a meeting at work—setting an
agenda, taking notes, summarizing ethically, and writing the minutes
Brand New Chapter 4 E-Communications at Work: Email, Blogs, Messaging,

and Social Media
●● Discusses the importance of and differences between business and personal
emails, messages, blogs, and social media posts
●● Revised section, “Legal/Ethical Guidelines to Follow in Writing
E-Communications”
●● Substantially revised sections on email in the workplace, including a revised
“Guidelines for Using Email on the Job” with up-to-date, practical advice
●● Revised “Messaging” section focusing on both using a networked company
system and texting on smartphones.
●● Expanded discussion of business blogs
●● New section, “Writing for Social Media in the Workplace”
●● New figures showcasing business social media posts on Facebook and Twitter
●● Includes new exercises related to writing for social media in the workplace
Chapter 5 Writing Letters: Some Basics for Communicating with Audiences Worldwide
●● Further emphasis on the importance of letters in the Internet Age
●● Strengthened discussions of the business contexts for correspondence
●● Revised section, “Essential Advice on Writing Effective Letters”
●● New section on “Different Ways to Send Letters”
●● Revised section on “The Appearance of Your Letter,” reflecting contempo-
rary document designs
●● Expanded sections on writing different correspondence
●● Greater attention to needs of international readers with an enhanced Case
Study on adapting letters to international readers
●● Revised exercises on up-to-date topics reflecting international readers’ needs
Chapter 6 Types of Business Letters and Memos

●● Revised “Preliminary Guidelines” section for sales letters
●● New Tech Note, “Mail Merge”
●● Revised section, “Getting the Reader’s Attention”
●● Revised section, “Showing the Customer the Product’s or Service’s
Application”
●● Revised section on “Adjustment Letters”
Preface xxvii
●● Heavily revised section on “Memos”

●● Thirteen redesigned letters and memos
●● Revised exercises with up-to-date topics and subjects
Chapter 7 How to Get a Job: Searches, Networking, Dossiers, Portfolios/Webfolios,

Résumés, Transitioning to a Civilian Job, Letters, and Interviews
●● Revised section on identifying and emphasizing marketable job skills
●● Updated coverage on where to look for a job, with further examples of and
advice on using job-posting sites
●● New section, “Transitioning to the Civilian Workforce,” aimed at helping
veterans prepare successful job applications; new sample résumé
●● Updated section on “Looking in the Right Places for a Job”
●● Revised section on “Using Online Social and Professional Networking Sites
in Your Job Search”
●● New sample LinkedIn profile page; updated discussion of using Facebook as
part of your job search
●● Revised and updated “Do’s and Don’ts When Creating Your Online Profile”
●● Updated and redesigned letters and résumés throughout
●● Chapter now includes ten print and digital résumés
●● Revised section on “The Digital Résumé”
●● Revised Case Study on creating a digital résumé for a job search
●● New section with tips on “Being Ready for a Phone Interview”
●● Revised Tech Note, “Skype Interviews”
●● Revised and updated section on “Questions to Expect at Your Interview”
●● New information on “What Interviewer(s) Can’t Ask You”
●● Updated, practical advice inquiring about salary and salary ranges
●● New section, “Keep a Job Search Record”
Streamlined Chapter 8 Doing Research, Evaluating Sources, and Preparing

Documentation in the Workplace
●● Useful, updated section on “Use of Social Networking Sites as a Recruiting
Tool”
●● New section on “Online Survey Builders”
●● Revised and updated Tech Note, “Intranets”
●● Revised and updated sections on searching online catalogs, e-libraries, and
reference materials
●● Revised Tech Note, “Gray Literature”
●● New section, “How to Conduct Keyword Searches: Some Guidelines”
●● Coverage of latest Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psy-
chological Association (APA) documentation styles, including for podcasts,
blogs, emails, tweets, and Facebook posts
●● Updated and reformatted business report, marketing a large real estate
project (written in MLA style)
●● New exercises with current business topics
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
slaughtered in camp and the presents at the end of the journey are
exclusively his. A man guilty of preceding the Pagazi is liable to fine,
and an arrow is extracted from his quiver to substantiate his identity
at the end of the march. Pouring out of the kraal in a disorderly mob,
the porters stack their goods at some tree distant but a few hundred
yards, and allow the late and lazy and the invalids to join the main
body. Generally at this conjuncture the huts are fired by neglect or
mischievousness. The khambi, especially in winter, burns like tinder,
and the next caravan will find a heap of hot ashes and a few charred
sticks still standing. Yet by way of contrast, the Pagazi will often take
the trouble to denote by the usual signposts to those following them
that water is at hand; here and there a little facetiousness appears in
these directions, a mouth is cut in the tree trunk to admit a bit of
wood simulating a pipe, with other representations still more
waggish.
“After the preliminary halt, the caravan forming into the order of
march, winds like a monstrous land serpent over hill, dale, and plain.
The kirangozi is followed by an Indian file; those nearest to him are
heavily laden with ivory. When the weight of the tusk is inordinate it
is tied to a pole and is carried palanquin fashion by two men. The
ivory carriers are succeeded by the bearers of cloth and beads, each
man poising on either shoulder, and sometimes raising upon the
head for rest, packs that resemble huge bolsters, six feet long by two
in diameter, cradled in sticks which generally have a forked
projection for facility in stacking and reshouldering the load. The
sturdiest fellows are usually the lightest loaded in Eastern Africa; as
elsewhere, the weakest go to the wall. The maximum of burden may
be two farasilah, or seventy pounds avoirdupois. Behind the cloth
bearers straggles a long line of porters and slaves laden with the
lighter stuff—rhinoceros teeth, hides, salt, tobacco, brass wire, iron
hoes, boxes and bags, beds and tents, pots and water gourds, mats,
and private stores. With the Pagazi, but in separate parties, march
the armed slaves, who are never seen to quit their muskets; the
women and the little toddling children, who rarely fail to carry
something, be it only of a pound weight; and the asses neatly laden
with saddle-bags of giraffe and buffalo hide. A Mganga also
universally accompanies the caravan, not disdaining to act as a
common porter. The rear is brought up by the master, or the
masters, of the caravan, who often remain far behind for the
convenience of walking and to prevent desertion.
“All the caravan is habited in its worst attire; the East African
derides those who wear upon a journey the cloth which should be
reserved for display at home. If rain fall they will doff the single goat-
skin hung round their sooty limbs and, folding it up, place it between
the shoulders and the load. When grain is served out for a long
march, each porter bears his posho or rations fastened like a large
‘bustle’ to the small of his back. Upon this again he sometimes binds,
with its legs projecting outwards, the three-legged stool, which he
deems necessary to preserve him from the danger of sitting upon the
damp ground. As may be imagined, the barbarians have more
ornament than dress. Some wear a strip of zebra’s mane bound
round the head with the bristly parti-coloured hair standing out like a
saint’s gloria, others prefer a long bit of stiffened ox-tail rising like a
unicorn’s horn at least a foot above the forehead. Other ornaments
are the skins of monkeys and ocelots, roleaus and fillets of white,
blue, or scarlet cloth, and huge bunches of ostrich, crane, and jay’s
feathers crowning the heads like the tufts of certain fowls. Their arms
are decorated with massive ivory bracelets, heavy bangles of brass
and copper, and thin circlets of the same metal, beads in strings and
bands adorn their necks, and small iron bells strapped below the
knee or round the ancle by the more aristocratic. All carry some
weapon; the heaviest armed have a bow and a bark quiver full of
arrows, two or three long spears and assegais, and a little battle-axe,
borne on the shoulder.
“The normal recreations of a march are whistling, singing,
shouting, hooting, horning, drumming, imitating the cries of birds and
beasts, repeating words which are never used except on journeys.
There is gabble enough and abundant squabbling; in fact, perpetual
noise, which the ear, however, soon learns to distinguish for the
hubbub of a halt. The uproar redoubles near a village where the flag
is unfurled and where the line lags to display itself. All give vent to
loud shouts: ‘Hopa, hopa! go on, go on—Mgogolo! a stoppage—
food, food—don’t be tired—the kraal is here—home is near—hasten,
Kirangozi—oh! we see our mothers—we go to eat.’ On the road it is
considered prudent, as well as pleasurable, to be as loud as
possible, in order to impress upon plunderers an exaggerated idea of
the caravan’s strength; for equally good reasons silence is
recommended in the kraal. When threatened with attack, and no
ready escape suggests itself, the porters ground their loads and
prepare for action. It is only self-interest that makes them brave. I
have seen a small cow trotting up with tail erect break a line of 150
men carrying goods not their own. If a hapless hare or antelope
cross the path, every man casts his pack, brandishes his spear, and
starts in pursuit; the animal, never running straight, is soon killed and
torn limb from limb, each hunter devouring his morsel raw. When two
parties meet, that commanded by an Arab claims the road. If both
are Wanyamwezi, violent quarrels ensue; fatal weapons, which are
too ready at hand, are turned to more harmless purposes, the bow
and spear being used as whip and cudgel. These affrays are not
rancorous till blood is shed. Few tribes are less friendly for so trifling
an affair as a broken head; even a slight cut, or a shallow stab, is
little thought of; but if returned with interest great loss of life may
arise from the slenderest cause. When friendly caravans meet, the
two Kirangozis sidle up with a stage pace, a stride and a stand, and
with sidelong looks prance till arrived within distance, then suddenly
and simultaneously ducking, like boys ‘give a back,’ they come to
loggerheads and exchange a butt violently as fighting rams. Their
example is followed by all with a crush which might be mistaken for
the beginning of a faction; but it ends, if there be no bad blood, in
shouts of laughter. The weaker body, however, must yield
precedence and offer a small present as blackmail.”
After all, however, there is some reason in the African’s objection
to be hurried on a march, or to exert himself overmuch in the
interests of a traveller, whose private affairs are nothing to him and
whom, when discharged, he will in all probability never see again. He
does not particularly wish to see him, as he is perfectly comfortable
at home. According to the last quoted authority he rises with the
dawn from his couch of cow’s-hide. The hut is cool and comfortable
during the day; but the barred door, impeding ventilation at night,
causes it to be close and disagreeable. The hour before sunrise
being the coldest time, he usually kindles a fire and addresses
himself to his constant companion the pipe. When the sun becomes
sufficiently powerful, he removes the reed-screen from the entrance
and issues forth to bask in the morning beams. The villages are
populous, and the houses touching one another enable the
occupants, when squatting outside and fronting the central square,
to chat and chatter without moving. About 7 a.m., when the dew has
partially disappeared from the grass, the elder boys drive the flocks
and herds to pasture, with loud shouts and sounding applications of
the quarter staff. They return only when the sun is sinking behind the
western horizon. At 8 p.m. those who have provisions at home enter
the hut to refection with ugali or holcus-porridge, those who have not
join a friend. Pombe, when procurable, is drunk from the earliest
dawn.
After breaking his fast, the African repairs, pipe in hand, to the
Iwanza, the village public previously described. Here in the society of
his own sex he will spend the greater part of the day talking and
laughing, smoking, or torpid with sleep. Occasionally he sits down to
play. As with barbarians generally, gambling in him is a passion. The
normal game is our “heads and tails,” the implement, a flat stone, a
rough circle of tin, or the bottom of a broken pot. The more civilised
have learned the “bas” of the coast, a kind of “tables” with counters
and cups hollowed in a solid plank. Many of the Wanyamwezi have
been compelled by this indulgence to sell themselves into slavery
after playing through their property; they even stake their aged
mothers against the equivalent of an old lady in these lands,—a cow
or a pair of goats. As may be imagined, squabbles are perpetual,
they are almost always, however, settled amongst fellow-villagers
with bloodless weapons. Others, instead of gambling, seek some
employment which, working the hands and leaving the rest of the
body and the mind at ease, is ever a favourite with the Asiatic and
the African; they whittle wood, pierce and wire their pipe sticks—an
art in which all are adepts,—shave one another’s heads, pluck out
their beards, eyebrows, and eyelashes, and prepare and polish their
weapons.
“At about one p.m., the African, unless otherwise employed,
returns to his hut to eat the most substantial and the last meal of the
day, which has been cooked by his women. Eminently gregarious,
however, he often prefers the Iwanza as a dining room, where his
male children, relatives, and friends meet during the most important
hour of the twenty-four. With the savage and the barbarian food is
the all and all of life, food is his thought by day, food is his dream by
night. The civilized European who never knows hunger nor thirst
without the instant means of gratifying every whim of appetite, can
hardly conceive the extent to which his wild brother’s soul is swayed
by stomach; he can scarcely comprehend the state of mental
absorption in which the ravenous human animal broods over the
carcase of an old goat, the delight which he takes in superintending
every part of the cooking process, and the jealous eye with which he
regards all who live better than himself. After eating, the East African
invariably indulges in a long fit of torpidity from which he awakes to
pass the afternoon as he did the forenoon, chatting, playing,
smoking, and chewing sweet earth. Towards sunset all issue forth to
enjoy the coolness; the men sit outside the Iwanza, whilst the
women and the girls, after fetching water for household wants from
the well, collecting in a group upon their little stools, indulge in the
pleasures of gossiping and the pipe. This hour, in the more favoured
parts of the country, is replete with enjoyment. As the hours of
darkness draw nigh, the village doors are carefully closed, and after
milking his cows, each peasant retires to his hut, or passes his time
squatting round the fire with his friends in the Iwanza. He has not yet
learned the art of making a wick, and of filling a bit of pottery with oil.
When a light is wanted he ignites a stick of the oleaginous msásá-
tree—a yellow, hard, close-grained, and elastic wood with few knots,
much used in making spears, bows, and walking staves—which
burns for a quarter of an hour with a brilliant flame. He repairs to his
hard couch before midnight and snores with a single sleep till dawn.
For thorough enjoyment, night must be spent in insensibility, as the
day is in inebriety, and though an early riser he avoids the ‘early to
bed’ in order that he may be able to slumber through half the day.
“Such is the African’s idle day, and thus every summer is spent.
As the wintry rains draw nigh, the necessity of daily bread suggests
itself. The peasants then leave their huts about six or seven a.m.,
often without provision which now becomes scarce, and labour till
noon or two p.m., when they return home, and find food prepared by
the wife or the slave girl. During the afternoon they return to work,
and sometimes, when the rains are near, they are aided by the
women. Towards sunset all wend homeward in a body, laden with
their implements of cultivation, and singing a kind of ‘dulce domum’
in a simple and pleasing recitative.”
Let us conclude this brief sketch of the perils and inconveniences
that menace the explorer of savage shores by presenting the reader
with a picture of the approach of one of the ships bearing some of
the earliest English visitants to the cannibal shores of the Southern
Seas:
“Notwithstanding,” says Mr. Ellis, “all our endeavours to induce the
natives to approach the ship, they continued for a long time at some
distance viewing us with apparent surprise and suspicion. At length
one of the canoes, containing two men and a boy, ventured
alongside. Perceiving a lobster lying among a number of spears at
the bottom of the canoe, I intimated by signs my wish to have it, and
the chief readily handed it up. I gave him in return two or three
middle-size fish-hooks, which, after examining rather curiously, he
gave to the boy, who having no pocket to put them in, or any article
of dress to which they might be attached, instantly deposited them in
his mouth, and continued to hold with both hands the rope hanging
from the ship.
“The principal person in the canoe appeared willing to come on
board. I pointed to the rope he was grasping and put out my hand to
assist him up the ship’s side. He involuntarily laid hold of it, but could
scarcely have felt my grasp when he instantly drew back his hand
and raising it to his nostrils smelt at it most significantly as if to
ascertain with what kind of being he had come in contact. After a few
moments’ pause he climbed over the ship’s side, and as soon as he
had reached the deck our captain led him to a chair on the quarter-
deck, and pointing to the seat signified his wish that he should be
seated. The chief, however, having viewed it for some time, pushed
it aside and sat down on the deck. Our captain had been desirous to
have the chief aboard that he might ascertain from him whether the
island produced sandal-wood, as he was bound to the Marquesas in
search of that article. A piece was therefore procured and shown
him, with the qualities of which he appeared familiar, for after
smelling it and calling it by some name he pointed to the shore.
“While we had been thus engaged, many of the canoes had
approached the ship, and when we turned round a number of the
natives appeared on deck, and others were climbing over the
bulwarks. They were certainly the most savage-looking natives I had
ever seen; and these barbarians were as unceremonious as their
appearance was uninviting. A gigantic, fierce-looking fellow seized a
youth as he was standing by the gangway and endeavoured to lift
him over the deck, but the lad struggling escaped from his grasp. He
then seized our cabin-boy, but the sailors coming to his assistance
and the native finding that he could not disengage him from their
hold, pulled his woollen shirt over his head and was about to leap
into the sea when he was arrested by the sailors. We had a large
ship-dog chained to his kennel on the deck, and although this animal
was not only fearless but savage, yet the appearance of the natives
seemed to terrify him. One of them caught the dog in his arms and
was proceeding over the ship’s side with him, but perceiving him
fastened to his kennel by the chain he was obliged to relinquish his
prize, evidently much disappointed. He then seized the kennel with
the dog in it, when, finding it nailed to the deck, he ceased his
attempts to remove it and gazed round the ship in search of some
object which he could secure. We had brought from Port Jackson
two young kittens; one of these now came up from the cabin, but she
no sooner made her appearance on the deck, than a native,
springing like a tiger on its prey, caught up the unconscious animal
and instantly leaped over the ship’s side into the sea. Hastening to
the side of the deck I looked over the bulwarks and beheld him
swimming rapidly towards a canoe which lay about fifty yards from
the ship. As soon as he had reached this canoe, holding the cat with
both hands, he exhibited it to his companions with evident exultation.
“Orders were given to clear the ship. A general scuffle ensued
between the islanders and the seamen, in which many of the former
were driven headlong into the sea, where they seemed as much at
home as on solid ground; while others clambered over the vessel’s
sides into their canoes. In the midst of the confusion and the
retreating of the natives the dog, which had hitherto slunk into his
kennel, recovered his usual boldness and not only increased the
consternation by his barking, but severely tore the leg of one of the
fugitives who was hastening out of the ship near the spot where he
was chained. The decks were now cleared; but as many of the
people still hung about the shrouds and chains the sailors drew the
long knives with which, when among the islands, they were
furnished, and by menacing gestures, without wounding any,
succeeded in detaching them altogether from the ship. Some of
them seemed quite unconscious of the keenness of the knife, and I
believe had their hands deeply cut by snatching at the blades.”
Boatmen of Rockingham Bay.
The True Word expounded to a Potentate of Western Africa.
PART XI.
RELIGIOUS RITES AND SUPERSTITIONS.
CHAPTER XXVI.
The mysterious “still small voice”—Samoan mythology—The man who
pushed the Heavens up—The child of the Sun—A Figian version
of the “Flood”—The Paradise of the Figian—Lying Ghosts—
Singular case of abduction—The disobedient Naiogabui—All fair
in love and war—The fate of poor Rokoua—The Samoan hades
—Miscellaneous gods of the Samoans—A god for every village—
The cup of truth—Mourning the destruction of a god’s image—
The most fashionable god in Polynesia—Families marked for
human sacrifice—“Tapu” or “tabu”—Its antiquity and wide-spread
influence—Muzzled pigs and blindfolded chickens—Ceremony of
releasing the porkers—Tremendous feast of baked pig—The tapu
in New Zealand—A terrible tinder box—The sacred pole and the
missionaries—The chief’s backbone—The Pakeka and the iron
pot—One of the best uses of tapu—Its general advantages and
disadvantages—Tapu among the Samoans—Witchcraft in New
Zealand—Visit of a European to a “retired” witch—The religion of
the Dayak—“Tapa,” “Tenahi,” “Iang,” and “Jirong”—Warriors’
ghosts—Religious rites and superstitions of the Sea Dayaks—
The great god Singallong Burong—Belief in dreams among the
Sea Dayaks—Story of the stone bull—Of the painted dog.
eligion, as signifying reverence of God and a belief in

future rewards and punishments, may be said to have
no existence among people who are absolutely savage.
Belief in life hereafter is incompatible with non-belief in
the existence of the soul, and difficult indeed would it be
to show a thorough barbarian who did not repudiate that
grand and awful trust. He is too much afraid of the mysterious thing
to confess to being its custodian. Undoubtedly he is quite conscious
of a power within him immensely superior to that which gives motion
to his arms and legs, and invites him to eat when he is hungry. He
“has ears and hears,” and “the still small voice” that speaks all
languages and fits its admonitions to the meanest understanding
bears the savage no less than the citizen company all the day long,
noting all his acts and whispering its approvals and its censures of
them; and when the savage reclines at night on his mat of rushes,
the still small voice is still vigilant, and reveals for his secret
contemplation such vivid pictures of the day’s misdoing, that his
hands ache with so fervently clasping his wooden greegree, and he
is rocked to sleep and horrid dreams with trembling and quaking
fear.
But the savage, while he acknowledges the mysterious influence,
has not the least notion as to its origin. To his hazy mind the word
“incomprehensible” is synonymous with “evil,” and the most
incomprehensible thing to him, and consequently the most evil, is
death. With us it is anxiety as to hereafter that makes death terrible;
with the savage death is detestable only as a gravedigger, a
malicious spirit who snatches him away from the world—where his
children and his wives are, and where tobacco grows, and palm-
trees yield good wine,—who snatches him away from all these good
things and every other, and shuts him in the dark damp earth to
decay like a rotten branch.
Death therefore is, in his eyes, the king of evil, and all minor evils
agents of the king, and working with but one aim though with
seeming indirectness. This it is that makes the savage a miserable
wretch—despite nature’s great bounty in supplying him with food
without reaping or sowing, and so “tempering the wind” that the
shelter of the boughs makes him a house that is warm enough, and
the leaves of the trees such raiment as he requires. Through his
constant suspicion he is like a man with a hundred jars of honey, of
the same pattern and filled the same, but one—he knows not which
—is poisoned. Taste he must or perish of hunger, but taste he may
and perish of poison; and so, quaking all the time, he picks a little
and a little, suspecting this jar because it is so very sweet, and that
because it has a twang of acid, and so goes on diminishing his
ninety-nine chances of appeasing his hunger and living, to level
odds, that he will escape both hunger and poison and die of fright.
Death is the savage’s poisoned honey-pot. He may meet it in the
wind, in the rain; it may even (why not? he has known such cases)
come to him in a sunray. It may meet him in the forest where he
hunts for his daily bread! That bird that just now flitted by so
suddenly and with such a curious cry may be an emissary of the king
of evil, and now hastening to tell the king that there is he—the victim
—all alone and unprotected in the forest, easy prey for the king if he
comes at once! No more hunting for that day though half-a-dozen
empty bellies be the consequence; away with spear and blow-gun,
and welcome charms and fetiches to be counted and kissed and
caressed all the way home—aye, and for a long time afterwards, for
that very bird may still be perched a-top of the hut, peeping in at a
chink, and only waiting for the victim to close his eyes to summon
the grim king once more. In his tribulation he confides the secret of
his uneasiness to his wife, who with affectionate zeal runs for the
gree-gree-man, who, on hearing the case, shakes his head so
ominously, that though even the very leopard-skin that hangs before
the doorway be the price demanded for it, the most powerful charm
the gree-gree-man has to dispose of must be obtained.
It is only, however, to the perfect savage—the Fan and Ougbi of
Central Africa, the Andamaner of Polynesia, and some others—that
the above remarks apply. If we take belief in the soul and its
immortality as the test, we shall find the number of absolute
barbarians somewhat less than at first sight appears; indeed, the
mythological traditions of many savage people, wrapped as they
invariably are in absurdity, will frequently exhibit in the main such
close resemblance to certain portions of our Scripture history as to
fill us with surprise and wonder. Take, for instance, the following
examples occurring in Samoa, furnished by the Rev. George Turner:
“The earliest traditions of the Samoans describe a time when the
heavens alone were inhabited and the earth covered over with water.
Tangaloa, the great Polynesian Jupiter, then sent down his daughter
in the form of a bird called the Turi (a snipe), to search for a resting-
place. After flying about for a long time she found a rock partially
above the surface of the water. (This looks like the Mosaic account
of the deluge; but the story goes on the origin of the human race.)
Turi went up and told her father that she had found but one spot on
which she could rest. Tangaloa sent her down again to visit the
place. She went to and fro repeatedly, and, every time she went up,
reported that the dry surface was extending on all sides. He then
sent her down with some earth, and a creeping plant, as all was
barren rock. She continued to visit the earth and return to the skies.
Next visit, the plant was spreading. Next time it was withered and
decomposing. Next visit it swarmed with worms. And the next time
had become men and women! A strange account of man’s origin.
But how affectingly it reminds one of his end: ‘They shall lie down
alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.’
“They have no consecutive tales of these early times; but we give
the disjointed fragments as we find them. They say that of old the
heavens fell down, and that people had to crawl about like the lower
animals. After a time, the arrow-root and another similar plant
pushed up the heavens. The place where these plants grew is still
pointed out, and called the Te’engga-langi, or heaven-pushing place.
But the heads of the people continued to knock on the skies. One
day, a woman was passing along who had been drawing water. A
man came up to her and said that he would push up the heavens, if
she would give him some water to drink. ‘Push them up first,’ she
replied. He pushed them up. ‘Will that do?’ said he. ‘No, a little
further.’ He sent them up higher still, and then she handed him her
cocoa-nut-shell water bottle. Another account says, that a person
named Tütü pushed up the heavens; and the hollow places in a rock,
nearly six feet long, are pointed out as his footprints. They tell about
a man called Losi, who went up on a visit to the heavens. He found
land and sea there, people, houses, and plantations. The people
were kind to him and supplied him with plenty of food. This was the
first time he had seen or tasted taro. He sought for some in the
plantations and brought it down to the earth; and hence they say the
origin of taro. They do not say how he got up and down. When the
taro tree fell, they say its trunk and branches extended a distance of
nearly sixty miles. In this and the following tale we are reminded of
Jacob’s ladder.
“Two young men, named Punifanga and Tafalin, determined one
afternoon to pay a visit to the moon. Punifanga said he knew a tree
by which they could go up. Tafalin was afraid it might not reach high
enough, and said he would try another plan. Punifanga went to his
tree, but Tafalin kindled a fire, and heaped on cocoa-nut shells and
other fuel so as to raise a great smoke. The smoke rose in a dense
straight column, like a cocoa-nut tree towering away into the
heavens. Tafalin then jumped on to the column of smoke, and went
up and reached the moon long before Punifanga. One wishes to
know what they did next, but here the tale abruptly ends, with the
chagrin of Punifanga when he got up and saw Tafalin there before
him, sitting laughing at him for having been so long on the way.
“In another story we are told, that the man came down one
evening and picked up a woman, called Sina, and her child. It was
during a time of famine. She was working in the evening twilight,
beating out some bark with which to make native cloth. The moon
was just rising, and it reminded her of great bread-fruit. Looking up to
it she said, ‘Why cannot you come down and let my child have a bit
of you?’ The moon was indignant at the idea of being eaten, came
forthwith, and took up her child, board, mallet, and all. The popular
superstition of ‘the man in the moon, who gathered sticks on the
Sabbath-day,’ is not yet forgotten in England, and in Samoa, of the
woman in the moon. ‘Yonder is Sina,’ they say, ‘and her child, and
mallet and board.’
“We have a fragment or two, also, about the sun. A woman called
Manquamanqui became pregnant by looking at the rising sun. Her
son grew, and was named ‘Child of the Sun.’ At his marriage he
asked his mother for a dowry. She sent him to his father the Sun, to
beg from him, and told him how to go. Following her directions, he
went one morning, with a long vine from the bush, which is the
convenient substitute for a rope, climbed a tree, threw his rope, with
a noose at the end of it, and caught the Sun. He made his message
known and (Pandora like) got a present for his bride. The Sun first
asked him what was his choice, blessings or calamities? He chose,
of course, the former, and came down with his store of blessings
done up in a basket. There is another tale about this Samoan
Phaeton, similar to what is related of the Hawaiian Mani. They say
that he and his mother were annoyed at the rapidity of the sun’s
course in those days—that it rose, reached the meridian, and set
‘before they could get their mats dried.’ He determined to make it go
slower. He climbed a tree one morning early, and with a rope and
noose all ready, watched for the appearance of the sun. Just as it
emerged from the horizon, he threw, and caught it; the sun struggled
to get clear, but in vain. Then fearing lest it should be strangled, it
called out in distress, ‘Oh! have mercy on me, and spare my life.
What do you want?’ ‘We wish you to go slower, we can get no work
done.’ ‘Very well,’ replied the Sun; ‘let me go, and for the future I will
walk slowly, and never go quick again.’ He let go the rope, and ever
since the sun has gone slowly, and given us longer days. Ludicrous
and puerile as this is, one cannot help seeing in it the wreck of that
sublime description in the book of Joshua, of the day when that man
of God stood in the sight of Israel, and said: ‘Sun, stand thou still
upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the Sun
stood still, and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged
themselves upon their enemies.’
“There are but few tales in Samoa in which we can trace the
deluge; nor are these circumstantial as those which obtain in some
other parts of the Pacific. It is the universal belief, however, ‘that of
old, the fish swam where the land now is;’ and tradition now adds,
when the waters abated, many of the fish of the sea were left on the
land, and afterwards were changed into stones. Hence, they say,
there are stones in abundance in the bush and among the mountains
which were once sharks and other inhabitants of the deep.”
The Figians, islanders of the same group, have an advantage
over the Samoans in this last mythological matter of the deluge.
They have at least half-a-dozen versions of the great flood, of which
the two following, furnished by Ellis and Williams, will serve:
“They speak of a deluge which, according to some of their
accounts, was partial, but in others is stated to have been universal.
The cause of the great flood was the killing of Turukana—a favourite
bird belonging to Udengei—by two mischievous lads, the grandsons
of the god. These, instead of apologizing for their offence, added
insolent language to the outrage, and fortifying, with the assistance
of their friends, the town in which they lived, defied Udengei to do his
worst. It is said, that although it took the angry god three months to
collect his forces, he was unable to subdue the rebels, and,
disbanding his army, resolved on more efficient revenge. At his
command the dark clouds gathered and burst, pouring streams on
the devoted earth. Towns, hills, and mountains were successively
submerged; but the rebels, secure in the superior height of their own
dwelling-place, looked on without concern. But when at last the
terrible surges invaded their fortress, they cried for direction to a god,
who, according to various accounts, sent them a shaddock punt, or
two canoes, or taught them to build a canoe themselves. However,
all agree the remnant of the human race was saved: the number was
eighty.”
So says Mr. Williams. Now for a literal translation, furnished by Mr.
Osmond to Mr. Ellis:
“Destroyed was Otaheite by the sea; no man, nor dog, nor fowl
remained. The groves of trees and the stones were carried away by
the wind. They were destroyed, and the deep was over the land. But
these two persons, the husband and the wife (when it came in), he
took up his young pig, she took up her young chickens; he took up
the young dog, and she the young kitten. They were going forth, and
looking at Orofena (the highest hill in the island), the husband said,
‘Up both of us to yonder mountain high.’ The wife replied, ‘No, let us
not go thither.’ The husband said, ‘It is a high rock and will not be
reached by the sea;’ but the wife replied, ‘Reached it will be by the
sea yonder: let us ascend Opitohito, round as a breast; it will not be
reached by the sea.’ They two arrived there. Orofena was
overwhelmed by the waves: Opitohito alone remained and was their
abode. There they watched ten nights; the sea ebbed, and they saw
the two little heads of the mountains in their elevation. When the
waters retired, the land remained without produce, without man, and
the fish were putrid in the holes of the rocks. The earth remained, but
the shrubs were destroyed. They descended and gazed with
astonishment: there were no houses, nor cocoa-nuts, nor palm-
trees, nor bread-fruit, nor grass; all was destroyed by the sea. They
two dwelt together; and the woman brought forth two children, a son
and a daughter. In those days covered was the land with food; and
from two persons the earth was repeopled.”
The Figian believes in a future state of perpetual bliss, but not that
the soul, as soon as it leaves the body, is absolved of all care.
Indeed, according to popular belief, the journey of the soul from
earth to heaven is a very formidable business.
“On the road to Nai Thombothombo, and about five miles from it,
is a solitary hill of hard reddish clay spotted with black boulders,
having on its right a pretty grove, and on the left cheerless hills. Its
name is Takiveleyaiva. When near this spot the disembodied spirit
throws the whale’s tooth, which is placed in the hand of the corpse at
burial, at a spiritual pandanus; having succeeded in hitting this, he
ascends the hill and there waits until joined by the spirits of his
strangled wife or wives. Should he miss the mark he is still supposed
to remain in this solitary resting-place, bemoaning the want of
affection on the part of his wife and friends, who are depriving him of
his expected companions. And this is the lone spirit’s lament: ‘How is
this? For a long time I planted food for my wife, and was also of
great use to her friends. Why, then, is she not allowed to follow me?
Do my friends love me no better than this after so many years of toil?
Will no one in love to me strangle my wife?’
“Blessed at last with the company of his wife or wives, who bear
his train, or sad because of their absence, the husband advances
towards Nai Thombothombo, and, club in hand, boards the canoe
which carries spirits to meet their examiner. Notice of his approach is
given by a paroquet which cries once, twice, and so on, according to
the number of spirits in the canoe, announcing a great number by
chattering. The highway to Mbulu lies through Nambanggatai, which,
it seems, is at once a real and unreal town, the visible part being
occupied by ordinary mortals, while in the unseen portion dwells the
family who hold inquest on departed spirits. Thus the cry of the bird
answers a twofold purpose, warning the people to set open the
doors that the spirit may have a free course, and preventing the
ghostly inquisitors from being taken by surprise. The houses in the
town are built with reference to a peculiarity in the locomotion of
spirits, who are supposed at this stage to pass straight forward:
hence all the doorways are opposite to each other, so that the shade
may pass through without interruption. The inhabitants speak in low
tones, and if separated by a little distance communicate their
thoughts by signs.
“Bygone generations had to meet Samu or Ravuyalo; but as he
died in 1847 by a curious misfortune, his duties now devolve upon
his sons, who, having been long in partnership with their illustrious
father, are quite competent to carry on his office. As it is probable
that the elder son will shortly receive the paternal title, or an
equivalent, we will speak of him as Samuyalo the Killer of Souls. On
hearing the paroquet, Samu and his brothers hide themselves in
some spiritual mangrove bushes just beyond the town and alongside
of the path in which they stick a reed as a prohibition to the spirit to
pass that way. Should the comer be courageous, he raises his club
in defiance of the tabu and those who place it there, whereupon
Samu appears to give him battle, first asking, ‘Who are you, and
whence do you come?’ As many carry their inveterate habit of lying
into another world, they make themselves out to be of vast
importance, and to such Samu gives the lie and fells them to the
ground. Should the ghost conquer in the combat, he passes on to
the judgment seat of Ndengei; he is disqualified for appearing there
and is doomed to wander among the mountains. If he be killed in the
encounter, he is cooked and eaten by Samu and his brethren.
“Some traditions put the examination questions into the mouth of
Samu, and judge the spirit at this stage; but the greater number refer
the inquisition to Ndengei.
“Those who escape the club of the soul-destroyer walk on to
Naindelinde, one of the highest peaks of the Kauvandra mountains.
Here the path of the Mbulu ends abruptly at the brink of a precipice,
the base of which is said to be washed by a deep lake. Beyond this
precipice projects a large steer-oar, which one tradition puts in the
charge of Ndengei himself, but another more consistently in the
keeping of an old man and his son, who act under the direction of
the god. These accost the coming spirit thus: ‘Under what
circumstances do you come to us? How did you conduct yourself in
the other world?’ If the ghost should be one of rank, he answers: ‘I
am a great chief; I lived as a chief, and my conduct was that of a
chief. I had great wealth, many wives, and ruled over a powerful
people. I have destroyed many towns, and slain many in war.’ To this
the reply is, ‘Good, good. Take a seat on the broad part of this oar,
and refresh yourself in the cool breeze.’ No sooner is he seated than
they lift the handle of the oar, which lies inland, and he is thus thrown
down headlong into the deep waters below, through which he passes
to Murimuria. Such as have gained the special favour of Ndengei are
warned not to go out on the oar, but to sit near those who hold it, and
after a short repose are sent back to the place whence they came to
be deified.”
The gods of the Figians would, however, seem to cling with
considerable tenacity to the weaknesses that distinguish the most
ordinary mortals. They quarrel, they fight, and worse still, descend to
act the part of lady-stealers, and this even when the booty is the
daughter of a neighbouring god. The last “pretty scandal” of this
character is related by Mr. Seeman in his recently published work on
Figi:
“Once upon a time there dwelt at Rewa a powerful god, whose
name was Ravovonicakaugawa, and along with him his friend the
god of the winds, from Wairna. Ravovonicakaugawa was leading a
solitary life, and had long been thinking of taking a wife to himself. At
last his mind seemed to be made up. ‘Put mast and sail into the
canoe,’ he said, ‘and let us take some women from Rokoua, the god
of Naicobocobo.’ ‘When do you think of starting?’ inquired his
friends. ‘I shall go in broad daylight,’ was the reply; ‘or do you think I
am a coward to choose the night for my work?’ All things being
ready, the two friends set sail and anchored towards sunset off
Naicobocobo. There they waited, contrary to Figian customs, one,
two, three days without any friendly communication from the shore
reaching them, for Rokoua, probably guessing their intention, had
strictly forbidden his people to take any food to the canoe. Rokoua’s
repugnance, however, was not shared by his household. His
daughter, the lovely Naiogabui, who diffused so sweet and powerful
a perfume, that if the wind blew from the east the perfume could be
perceived in the west, and if it blew from the west it could be

Textbook Successful Writing at Work Philip C Kolin Ebook All Chapter PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Textbook Successful Writing at Work Philip C Kolin Ebook All Chapter PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Successful Writing at Work Philip C.

Values at Work: Sustainable Investing and ESG Reporting

Writing Successful Science Proposals Andrew J.

Data Professionals at Work Malathi Mahadevan

Employee Voice at Work Peter Holland

Literacy and Orality at Work Frank Sligo

Practical Numerical C Programming 1st Edition Philip

The Antichrist A New Biography Philip C. Almond

Successful College Writing with 2016 MLA Update 6th

Successful Writing at Work

Australia ● Brazil ● Mexico ● Singapore ● United Kingdom ● United States

For product information and technology assistance, contact us at

Printed in the United States of America

Chapter 1: Getting Started: Writing and Your Career 4

Ethical Writing in the Workplace 26

Chapter 2: The Writing Process at Work 44

Chapter 3: Collaborative Writing and Meetings

Part II: Correspondence 114

Chapter 5: Writing Letters:

Chapter 6: Types of Business Letters and Memos 187

Tech Note: Mail Merge 194

Chapter 7: How to Get a Job: Searches, Networking, Dossiers,

What Not to Include in a Career Portfolio/Webfolio 254

Part III: Gathering and Summarizing Information 302

The Research Process 305

Chapter 9: Summarizing Information at Work 372

Preparing a Summary 374

Part IV: Preparing Documents and Visuals 398

Chapter 11: Designing Successful Documents

Case Study: Differences between Print Document Organization and

Chapter 12: Writing Instructions and Procedures 480

Writing Procedures for Policies and Regulations 510

Chapter 13: Writing Winning Proposals 518

Chapter 14: Writing Effective Short Reports 554

1. Anticipate How an Audience Will Use Your Report 556

Chapter 15: Writing Careful Long Reports 594

Tech Note: Using Government-Sponsored Research 597

Chapter 16: Making Successful Presentations at Work 624

Appendix: A Writer’s Brief Guide to Paragraphs,

Correcting Comma Splices A-7

Building on Past Editions

Versatility of New Eleventh Edition

Distinctive Approach of Successful Writing at Work

collaborative writing team in Chapter 3; making ethical choices when writing

software such as PowerPoint and Prezi. Coverage of these technologies is

Overview of Major Changes in the Eleventh Edition

Chapter 1 Getting Started: Writing and Your Career

Chapter 2 The Writing Process at Work

Chapter 3 Collaborative Writing and Meetings in the Workplace

●● Heavily revised Case Study on collaboratively written documents

Brand New Chapter 4 E-Communications at Work: Email, Blogs, Messaging,

Chapter 6 Types of Business Letters and Memos

●● Heavily revised section on “Memos”

Chapter 7 How to Get a Job: Searches, Networking, Dossiers, Portfolios/Webfolios,

Streamlined Chapter 8 Doing Research, Evaluating Sources, and Preparing

eligion, as signifying reverence of God and a belief in

You might also like

Chapter 1: Getting Started: Writing and Your Career 4

Chapter 2: The Writing Process at Work 44

Part II: Correspondence 114

Chapter 6: Types of Business Letters and Memos 187

Part III: Gathering and Summarizing Information 302

Chapter 9: Summarizing Information at Work 372

Part IV: Preparing Documents and Visuals 398

Chapter 12: Writing Instructions and Procedures 480

Chapter 13: Writing Winning Proposals 518

Chapter 14: Writing Effective Short Reports 554

Chapter 15: Writing Careful Long Reports 594

Chapter 16: Making Successful Presentations at Work 624