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 (booknews.com)