Annotated bibliography - Essay Example

Prof’s Annotated Bibliography Machiavelli, Niccolò, The Prince. Aaron Smith, Trans. Chicago: Chicago UP. 1955. Print.This work, written by Nicholo Machiavelli, an important thinker in Reneissance Florence, outlines the steps that a Prince, or leader, should take in establishing and holding power. This work is famous for its somewhat amoral tone, being more interested in outlining how the prince should maintain and control power than what is best for the population he is controlling: the underlying belief seems to be that instability in leadership is worse than a prince that will do what needs to be done to maintain control.

Tebeaux, Elizabeth, and Sam Dragga. The Essentials of Technical Communication. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.This book attempts to teach the basic elements of technical writing. It has something of a dual role, trying both to educate its readers and act as a reference guide, and it is relatively successful in both topics. The authors both come from a technical writing background, with Tabeaux currently serving as a professor or technical writing at Texas A&M university. This book is heavily geared towards beginners with little to no experience in technical writing, and thus will be of limited usefulness to someone with a great deal of experience, who might be better served with a simpler guide.

Neman, Beth, and Sandra Smythe. Writing Effectively in Business. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. Print.This work attempts to construct the basics of effective business writing. It alternates between trying to teach theory (why business writing has to be so basic, for instance, or focus on clarity over ornamentation) and giving discreet examples of types of business writing. Again, a beginner work that functions better as a textbook than it does as a reference work.