Good Engineering Literature

would-be writer of fiction and magazine stories, there is nothing, except as mentioned above, for the engineer-writer, and the more extensive book was therefore decided upon. No effort has been made to give set rules for the study of English, Grammar, Rhetoric, or any other of the fundamentals of literature, nor to dictate methods as to how a thing must be done to be correctly done; the effort has been rather to outline principles and to point out their application in what might be termed "literary engineering."

Every engineer is, sooner or later, called upon in the course of his professional duties, to do some form of literary work, when he finds that the ability to speak and write clearly and forcibly, to express his thoughts and understandings and to describe his works so that others will understand them, will prove one of the most valuable items in his mental equipment. This fact is, however, too little appreciated by the average student, or by the engineer during the earlier years of his work and as a result, we see many engineers painfully groping their way and struggling with the difficulties of composition under conditions where success depends on their powers of persuasion or of making themselves clearly understood.

To such practicing engineers, as well as to the student of engineering, it is hoped that

this book will offer a helping hand. Its purpose is fourfold:

1. To impress upon the reader the value and need of a command of good English in the practice of engineering, and to outline the application of the fundamentals of literary expression to his own special line of work.

2. To indicate something of the standards of engineering literature and of the kind of material that is most valuable to the engineer; to show how to collect, select, and arrange this information and prepare it for publication; and to give in outline such information regarding the theory and practice of the publishing business as may assist the writer in the preparation and marketing of his literary works.

3. To aid the engineer in the selection and reading of his professional literature that he may use his time and money to the best advantage.

4. To collect and preserve some of the information given in the writings and addresses of technical men on this subject, which is worthy of preservation, but which is unknown and unattainable to the average student or engineer.

In the use of these writings and addresses, I have been very free and while it would be almost impossible to give separate credit for each quotation or adaptation, in cases where

much material has been used, I have given individual credit, but besides this, special credit should be given to "Engineering News," from which I have made frequent quotations. I have also consulted encyclopedias and a few other works of a reliable kind, bearing on the general subject, and have used material therefrom as occasion demanded. Thanks are also due to Prof. J. M. Telleen, of the Case School of Applied Science, for his examination of some of the earlier sections of the book and for many valuable suggestions in connection therewith.

In conclusion, while I have derived much pleasure from the preparation of the present book, I realize its defects. It is my desire to improve it and to make it more useful by the experience and suggestions of engineers in practice as well as in teaching. No one man can cover the entire range of any subject in his own experience, therefore I would greatly appreciate any information that could be incorporated in the work and add to its usefulness to the engineer and the student, for whom it is intended. H. F.

Chicago, Ill., April 15, 1911.