American Psychological Assn.

Everyday creativity and new views of human nature; psychological, social, and spiritual perspectives.

Though active in the arts herself, Dr. Richards (psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, San Francisco; psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts) views creativity more broadly and as essential to survival. As someone who helped break new ground in the assessment of creativity in the general population, she introduces 13 chapters in which interdisciplinary thinkers probe the "originality of everyday life" in individual and societal contexts. Perspectives range from Piaget's developmental stages and the more positive aspects of television viewing to chaos theory and Zen Buddhism. In integrating these views, the editor enumerates the benefits of living creatively. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

How to write a lot; a practical guide to productive academic writing.

Never mind your inner writer; this guide focuses on bolstering your outer writer with a schedule, clear goals, and good work habits. Silvia, author of several books on psychology in the arts, shows struggling writers in psychology and other academic disciplines how to overcome roadblocks to writing in this lighthearted, practical, almost- pocket (5x8 inches) guide. Covering strategies for time management and motivation as well as basic style, he gives advice on how to write, submit, revise, and resubmit journal articles, how to improve writing quality, and how to write and publish academic books. B&w cartoons and a list of useful books on writing are included. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

How to write for a general audience; a guide for academics who want to share their knowledge with the world and have fun doing it.

When you need to get the word out there, boring readers to death may not be the best strategy. Health psychology practitioner Kendall-Tackett shares her own experiences in this comprehensive guide, and she urges academics not to "dumb down" their writing to appeal to a general audience but simply to become better communicators. She explains methods of time management and getting out the first draft that may seem alien at first to academics, but she smoothes the way with information about writers' groups and tips on avoiding pitfalls and working with narrative. She also describes working with editors, finding publishers, signing contracts and promoting the product. Laced with real-life stories and examples along with good humor about what the academic life does to communication skills, this is a fun, fast read with good ideas for those who actually have never had an excuse for dense, convoluted language. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)