What do you look for when you go to garage sales? Furniture, collectibles, old record albums, garden tools? I head straight to the books and occasionally I strike it lucky. But before I tell you what I once found, I must describe the sale, which helps explain why this particular book was such a find.

A grandparent had passed and all of the household belongings were quickly sorted and moved to the homes of younger relatives. You know the pattern. You wake up one day and your garage is filled with relics from a bygone era. So what do you do? You put up a sign and try to sell the stuff, hoping someone will find enjoyment out of it because you don’t have the heart to throw it out.

By examining the tools, magazines, and books, at this particular sale, it was apparent that this person was an engineer. We’ve all seen the tell-tale signs: years worth of the magazines Popular Mechanics and Scientific America, self-designed tools and solutions to meet everyday needs, like the “leaf roof rake.” A smile crossed my face as I felt a bond forming with this unknown deceased person. And then I saw it, nestled in a box of textbooks and slide rules, a book called English for Engineers. I imagined this handbook being prominently displayed on a bookshelf near the desk of a creative, technical person, determined to have his/her ideas understood and to present them in ways that honored the content.

OK…. So maybe my visions are a bit outrageous, but the book was never tossed out and based on its condition, I can tell it was used but taken well care of.

This is the Second Edition with an original print date of 1923. It must have value if the publisher commissioned additional editions. The author, S. A. Harbarger dedicated the book to his/her mother and father and was a member of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education. (I think I would have liked this person.)

Here is a list of some of the chapters:

• Professional Prestige and English
• Preliminary Analysis
• Business Letters for the Engineer
• The “You” Attitude
• The Summary
• The Engineering Report
• English for Non-Technical Uses

I’ve been teaching engineers to write and speak for 16 years and it is interesting to read words from 84 years ago saying the same thing in a slightly different language and tone.
(Please excuse the gender specific language and wordy phrases.)

On page 1:
An American engineer’s greatest asset is his ability to write and speak correctly, elegantly, and vigorously. He can employ mathematical sharps to make his calculations, foreigners to translate letters written in foreign languages, and to reply to them therein, specialists to help with advice and to make his plans; but he cannot hire anyone to talk for him to capitalists and other men of importance or even to prepare his reports…

I explain to engineers that brilliant ideas are lost every day because technical people don’t appreciate the importance of good communication skills. Engineering students avoid English classes yet discover as a professional, they must be able to write to succeed.

On page 61:
The problem, at the outset of the business letter, is to get the immediate and undivided attention of the addressee.  To gain this end, the material of the opening sentence or paragraph must be accessible and must show an immediate and definite relation to the needs and interests of the addressee.

In our book Technically Write! we present the Pyramid Method of Writing and demonstrate the importance of putting the main message at the very beginning of all communications.

On page 214:
The engineering report…is the most important form of writing that the engineer has to use in his profession.  It is the form that he uses most frequently but most ineffectively… His handling of his report indicates his grasp of the engineering project, his aptitude, his vision, and his insight…Upon his reports, the young engineer is judged as to his ability and reliability.

It surprises some when I explain that we are no longer judged on our religion, skin color, or gender but we are and always have been judged on our writing skills. The way a report is written and presented creates an impression of the writer, the organization, and the content.

I keep Harbarger’s book English for Engineers in a prominent place on my bookshelf, right next to the latest edition of Technically Write!.   Whenever I feel that my mission to educate, encourage, and promote engineers is impossible, I pull out this treasure and it reminds me of the important role communication skills play in our technical fields.

Please email me at LisaM@rgilearning.com if you have a particular issue or question you would like me to address in a future article.

Lisa Moretto is the President of RGI Learning, Inc. For 16 years she has helped engineers improve their oral and written communication skills. Visit www.rgilearning.com or call (585) 461-3617 to learn about RGI’s courses.

© 2007 RGI Learning

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