Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish your Thesis, Book, or Article Second Edition Howard S. Becker First published nearly twenty years ago, Writing for Social Scientists has become a lifesaver for writers is all fields, from beginning students to published authors. Sociologist Howard S. Becker's message is clear: in order to learn how to write, take a deep breath and then begin writing. Revise. Repeat. It is not always an easy process, as Becker wryly relates. Decades of teaching, researching, and writing have given him plenty of material, and Becker neatly exposes the foibles of academia and its publish-or-perish atmosphere. Wordiness, the passive voice, inserting a "the way in which" when a simple "how" will do – all these mechanisms are a part of the social structure of academic writing. By shrugging off such impediments – or at the very least, putting them aside for a few hours – we can reform our work habits and start writing lucidly without worrying about grades, peer approval, or "the literature". This new edition takes account of major changes in the computer tools available to writers today. Becker also substantially expands his analysis of how the current academic environment creates new pressures and opportunities for writers. As competition in academia grows increasingly heated, Writing for Social Scientists will provide solace for a new generation of frazzled would-be writers. Howard S. Becker lives and works in San Francisco. He is the author of many books, including Outsiders, Writing for Social Scientists and <>i>Telling About Society the latter two published by the University of Chicago Press.