Ever since my Mom taught me to read at age 5, I have loved learning from books. I enjoy learning in other ways also, but books have been a major source for me to both learn new things, and to gain additional awareness of nuances about things I was already doing that allowed me to improve.

Case in point, I had been writing scientific papers and helping my mentees write their own for several years before I began reading books about scientific writing as I was first preparing to teach a scientific writing course. Learning from these books gave me a framework for some things I already knew but didn’t know how to articluate, and introduced me to new ideas, and clarified other things that were not clear to me. I also read a lot of books about writing from all kinds of writers, not just technical writers. These books gave me a lot of insights into practice, process, and a having a good mindset. In short, learning about writing from books took my writing to a whole new level.

In this post, I wanted to give a list of those books. Additionally, I will list some other scientific writing books that I own but haven’t finished yet, and some others that are on my buy and read list. Since I consider scientific writing a professional skill, I will also list some professional development books that are not strictly about writing, but that give useful tips for developing systems that will improve your writing practice.

Writing books I have read and recommend (in no specific order):

Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations, 4th Edition, by Angelika Hofmann (my review)

Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded, by Joshua Schimel (my review)

How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, by Paul J. Silvia

The Art of Scientific Storytelling, by Rafael E. Luna

Don’t Be Such a Scientist, by Randy Olson

Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story, by Randy Olson

How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, by Barbara Gastel and Robert A. Day

The Writer’s Diet: A Guide to Fit Prose, by Helen Sword

Stylish Academic Writing, by Helen Sword

Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write, by Helen Sword

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century, by Steven Pinker

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser

On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott

Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at His Craft, by David Morrell

How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times, by Roy Peter Clark

Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writers’ Manual, by Rita Mae Brown

Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity, by Ray Bradbury

Ernest Hemingway on Writing, by Larry W. Phillips

The Accidental Medical Writer, by Cynthia L. Kryder and Brian G. Bass

The AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. OK, I cannot say I have read this whole book, but I do use it as a frequent reference. It covers anything you would have a question about for style and grammar topics.

Books I own and are in the que to be read:

The Scientist’s Guide to Writing: How to Write More Easily and Effectively throughout Your Scientific Career, by Stephen B. Heard

A Scientific Approach to Scientific Writing, by John Blackwell and Jan Martin

Getting Published in the Life Sciences, by Gladon, Graves, and Kelly

Writing in the Biological Sciences: A Comprehensive Resource for Scientific Communication, by Angelika Hofmann

They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein

Telling True Stories, by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call

Professional Development books I have read and recommend:

Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times, by Marc J. Kuchner

The Exceptional Presenter: A Proven Formula to Open Up and Own the Room, by Timothy J. Koegel

The Storyteller’s Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On and Others Don’t, by Carmine Gallo

This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See, by Seth Godin