Books to Read About Writing in Social Science or About Social Science

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· 1,132 ratings · 110 reviews

Start your review of Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article

Feb 16, 2015 Ivana rated it it was amazing

Time-travelling, that is my goal after reading this book. Or at least write a readable thesis.
The most exciting moment is when you realize that you are adopting some of Becker´s advices. While reading the book I mostly nodded with agreement.
For me the most important things for everyone to realize are:
- writing is a part of academic system, institutions
- something is rotten in this kingdom, but one should not give up
- forget about your ego while writing, put the cause at the first place
- start Time-travelling, that is my goal after reading this book. Or at least write a readable thesis.
The most exciting moment is when you realize that you are adopting some of Becker´s advices. While reading the book I mostly nodded with agreement.
For me the most important things for everyone to realize are:
- writing is a part of academic system, institutions
- something is rotten in this kingdom, but one should not give up
- forget about your ego while writing, put the cause at the first place
- start and try
- really, shut up and write
And so I continued. ...more

Mar 08, 2016 Aisha rated it it was amazing

Must-read for all research students, and anyone really trying to get the hang of writing clearly & by clearly I mean in terms of ideas but also the language used to express them. Unfortunately, we tend to obscure our ideas by the language we use.

The book is not written in the dry style of do and don't! Becker is very aware of the emotional, social, psychological, and even physical aspects of the process of writing. Also, the book is written for social scientists but it is really relevant to ANY

I really don't see how such a book can become "outdated"! It is a classic! And one I believe I will return to time and again as an early career academic.

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Sep 04, 2020 Este rated it it was amazing

This is the most relatable book I've read that's written by a sociologist. It's honest, unpretentious, and most of all helpful. Reading Howie Becker makes you feel smarter and inspired which few books on research ever achieve to do. His writing conveys empathy and is in touch with the struggles of being a young scholar in cut-throat industry. This is the most relatable book I've read that's written by a sociologist. It's honest, unpretentious, and most of all helpful. Reading Howie Becker makes you feel smarter and inspired which few books on research ever achieve to do. His writing conveys empathy and is in touch with the struggles of being a young scholar in cut-throat industry. ...more

Very little can be learned from this book about academic writing. It is hardly useful and engaging. The author simply explains the things we already know in a way that maybe the reader is not from the Earth. Only some aspects of the overall philosophy of writing and publishing were interesting.

Oct 15, 2016 Shuyi Chua rated it really liked it

Becker is an advocate for rewriting and editing as a means to produce good writing. What makes this book different from Peter Elbow's is its contextualization to the social sciences, hence addressing issues unique to sociology in writing and publishing. It reads like a friend talking to you, and was what drew me to the book. It is a good book for people from any discipline who fear academic writing and need help to see why it's not scary and why even fun (which I agree is fun).

However, if you re

However, if you really want to learn how to do free writing and editing, you may need to get a more academic text. This works as a good introduction, but hits just at the level of beliefs and principles, sharing from a very personal account. So it does not give a lot of guidance that is typically found in texts that teach academic writing. It is also a little outdated though it interestingly compares the 1986 text to the 2007 text. It's a nice book to see how the discipline and publishing industry and even technology has evolved through this book.

Very informative read but perhaps not the kind you would keep referring to for help. More like something you read once and may give to a friend who is fearful of writing, or likes autobiography and trivia (like me).

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I guess this is a great book to have somewhere near your desk when the reading slum is invading your creative writing process. I would highly recommend it for social scientists but also for other humanoids who are writing about various topics and need a more fluent writing style :)

The book was overall a relatable and informative read. There were some areas that seem somewhat less relevant today as they may have been when originally written, (The chapter on the merits of using word processors first comes to mind).

The key ideas were clearly expressed and helpful in laying out some of the common pitfalls and anxieties that academic writers often face. I would recommend the first couple chapters to anyone new to the world of academic writing and the final chapter does a parti

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Sep 07, 2018 Olwen rated it it was amazing

This is an 'old' book from 1986 - the author writes of the amazing new invention of computers - but it's one of the best books on the writing process I've ever come across. No wonder it's a classic, and in high demand at my library, still.

If you thought that writing should be easy, you need to read this book!

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This is one of the best books about writing and rewriting I have ever read. And not just for social scientists, despite the title. For anyone who writes anything.
It's a) very therapeutic. Because you meet the experience of other people and their fears while writing. You realize that you are "normal". You can relate.
It's b) full of tips. The author uses his classes and the texts he came across the best way. He mines them and gives you the perfect gems of examples and explanations. And he does so This is one of the best books about writing and rewriting I have ever read. And not just for social scientists, despite the title. For anyone who writes anything.
It's a) very therapeutic. Because you meet the experience of other people and their fears while writing. You realize that you are "normal". You can relate.
It's b) full of tips. The author uses his classes and the texts he came across the best way. He mines them and gives you the perfect gems of examples and explanations. And he does so while telling stories. Literally, he does not just describe, he actually shows you how the situations went without it being lengthy or boring.
It's c) multi-perspective. The author discusses the topic from the point of artists, undergraduates, young scholars, seasoned scholars, editors... And as (once) a member of many of these categories I could always relate and agreed. The author evidently discussed the topic with multiple people and listened to them and deeply thought about what they said.

There are some points when the books is at a stalemate. (Especially as the end is nearing.) When you read a page or two and wonder what it should have given you since it is too abstract or too philosophical. You can, of course, skip those if you are after the practical stuff. But you won't be bored even if you read those parts about dual types of academic writers (goal-oriented quickies and quality-oriented deadline-deniers), about the six uses of previous literature, or others. No matter the topic, the book is easy and fun to read. Which is great, since this is generally a very practical book.

All in all, 5/5 and definitely read it!

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Anyone who has faced the challenges of having to write a paper for college knows exactly how troublesome this task can be. There's this constant anxiety that keeps growing as the term for the paper gets closer and closer; there's all the things we do to try to avoid having to face the actual writing; and there's the fear of not being able to do the task at all, of not finding the right way to write the whole thing down. We get stuck and leave the bulk of the writing for the last minute.

Well, we

Well, we all have been there. And so common are these problems that Howard S. Becker tries to tackle them all on 10 essays dealing with different difficulties writers face when preparing their papers (or whatever they have to write).

The book is a must read for those who want to overcome the anxieties, fears, and all sort of troubles that accompany the act of writing for institutional settings such as college. Becker shares with us a lot of ideas that may help in different situations; and, most of all, he does a great job in showing that all we go through is not a particular problem of our lack of gifts for writing, but very common stumbling blocks that affects most who are obliged to produce meaningful pieces of writing.

If you are in college and are trying to make the leap forward in how you put your work into writing, don't miss this book. It will definitely help you improve your skills and confidence.

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Jan 29, 2010 Heather rated it really liked it

While this book was written in 1986 and some of the chapters are slightly dated, I still found this book to be pretty useful. It's not a book about how to write the most elegant paragraph; Becker (and the various chapter authors) help you to get past the crap and get to work. Of particular use to me were the sections on "Risk" and "Getting it out the door." While this book was written in 1986 and some of the chapters are slightly dated, I still found this book to be pretty useful. It's not a book about how to write the most elegant paragraph; Becker (and the various chapter authors) help you to get past the crap and get to work. Of particular use to me were the sections on "Risk" and "Getting it out the door." ...more

Nov 26, 2016 Dee Michell rated it it was amazing

Lots to like about this guide to writing. I especially enjoyed his chapter on the way to use academic literature. His metaphor of building a table is brilliant - you can take bits and pieces of others' work when that's useful and use those bits and pieces to craft something new. Lots to like about this guide to writing. I especially enjoyed his chapter on the way to use academic literature. His metaphor of building a table is brilliant - you can take bits and pieces of others' work when that's useful and use those bits and pieces to craft something new. ...more

Sep 04, 2017 Yaseen rated it really liked it

Helpful in its realm. Not outstanding, but a good little support guide. Best thing I learned from it is the tip to simply let go and start writing whatever comes to your head. Also, a good guest chapter that sums up what it feels like to be in academia and the stress that can cause you to freeze.

Jul 05, 2018 Frank Carver rated it really liked it

Over the last few months I have been becoming more and more aware that my PhD studies are likely to involve aspects of social science, mainly in the form of questioning and interviewing software developers about how they make component and library choices during their work. As well as the minefield of ethical approval, there is also the broader issue of how social science research is done. From a few encounters with social science researchers at University of Suffolk I have already begun to real Over the last few months I have been becoming more and more aware that my PhD studies are likely to involve aspects of social science, mainly in the form of questioning and interviewing software developers about how they make component and library choices during their work. As well as the minefield of ethical approval, there is also the broader issue of how social science research is done. From a few encounters with social science researchers at University of Suffolk I have already begun to realise that this is a completely different world from the science-based research that I have been involved in up to now. When I read a recommendation of this book on the very helpful, but mostly social science based blog "patter" I decided to pick up a copy.

I found this book to be mildly revelatory. Partly because of the introduction it gives to the still largely-unexplored world of social science, but also because of the specific writing advice it gives. Much of the advice is very good and general, such as enthusing about sharing work and soliciting feedback as soon and as often as possible, and the reiteration of the common (and common sense) exhortation to "just write". Other aspects of the book were much more of a shock. Becker argues strongly against the very style which defines scientific writing, the third-person passive voice, instead suggesting a much more personal first person active approach. After some reflection I came to the conclusion that this may be because of the differences of emphasis between the disciplines. In science, the (largely unwritten) emphasis is on reproducibility. The whole point of writing up is seen as an exercise in helping others to perform the same experiments, and hopefully produce similar results. In social science, however, reproducibility is almost a non-issue. Everything is expected to be personal, contextual and transient, so the underlying focus of the research is observation and the attempt to apply theoretical perspectives to make sense of that observation.

Becker writes, as one would hope from a book on this topic, in a personal and engaging style. He is happy to include anecdotes, both his own and others, and to highlight both his successes and his failures. When his advice and discussion strays from the timeless, however, it begins to be less useful. His two chapters on the use of computers (and technology generally) are both so dated as to be largely of historical interest. Likewise, he sometimes gets bogged down in the details of US academic structure, such as worries about "tenure", a concept I still don't fully understand, and this slightly limits the international usefulness of the work.

Overall, though, a valuable book, with generally good writing advice, and a window into the strange world of social science.

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It's a nice out take on academic writing from a sociological point of view. (view spoiler)[The autor talks about all those things about writing that no many people will dare to talk about, and he seems to do it with plain honesty. According to him, one way to break the writing block it is to write a lot, later you will be able to edit all that junk he says, but in the moment the most important it's to write. He gives lots of useful advices not only on writing but also on editing. He thinks most It's a nice out take on academic writing from a sociological point of view. (view spoiler)[The autor talks about all those things about writing that no many people will dare to talk about, and he seems to do it with plain honesty. According to him, one way to break the writing block it is to write a lot, later you will be able to edit all that junk he says, but in the moment the most important it's to write. He gives lots of useful advices not only on writing but also on editing. He thinks most people don't realize how much revision are on most texts. After reading this book, you should be left with a vague sense of optimism that will make you want to try many of the advices he gives.
The only thing that left me puzzling are on chap. 2 and chap. 6. He adds the testimony of two female colleagues. With some differences in between, this two experienced sociologist describe they self-perception of being frauds. It's a shame no analyzes on gender has been done. It would had been nice if the book commented how we internalize emotions that in fact are constrained by socials structures.
Chap. 9 it's totally useless. It could a been useful when the text first came out, but now we take the use of text processors for granted. (hide spoiler)]
I'm glad to have read it. It was a fresh and honest reading about the process of writing as a social practice.
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Dec 06, 2018 Jonas Stage rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Students

As a student of Sociology i've first read Beckers theory of deviance. But that's not the dominating thoughts of which he shared with me throughout his books. Instead of being a teacher or a part of the curriculum, he became a long time needed friend.

Student's today, myself included, are quite often afraid. We're drained and exhausted by the sheer amount of anxiety that going through a educations produces. So Becker's and Pamela Richard's notions of 'risk 'in relation to writing (or as a typist!) are still very accurate today. Therefor Becker became that friend throughout the book who's comforting you as a novice scholar and calming those eksistentiel crisis of yours: "Don't worry, just write!", "It's a proces, remember: There's No Right Way" and so on.

His chapter on the discovery of the magnificent new typing device - the so called "computer" - is very entertaining, since todays way of typing differs from the older way of using a typing machine. Of cause there's still some frustrations with this new device: remember saving you're file.

Now finished with this book i'm looking forward to the coming year and exciting proces of typing my thesis. But there's only so much advice that this book or other books can give you. As Becker says: "You can't star swimming until you get in the water".

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Feb 21, 2019 Laçin T. rated it it was amazing

Writing gets real! When I first found out about this book in the early semesters of the phd program, I did not think it could help me build stronger writing habits. I came to develop a really weird relationship to writing (academically) in the following years for various reasons, and found myself usually at the extremes - either stuck for a long time or just writing continuously like I'm walking a long distance. The latter's impact is much healthier; no surprise. But I still didn't see what made Writing gets real! When I first found out about this book in the early semesters of the phd program, I did not think it could help me build stronger writing habits. I came to develop a really weird relationship to writing (academically) in the following years for various reasons, and found myself usually at the extremes - either stuck for a long time or just writing continuously like I'm walking a long distance. The latter's impact is much healthier; no surprise. But I still didn't see what made the difference, how I moved from a dead-end to a healthy circulation of words on paper - reading, knowing one's material notwithstanding of course, because that being the same in both situations, one may still feel the burden. I think Chapter 6 is where it all got very real: like watching a documentary of one's own experience - even though little I may share with the person's status mentioned there. This book is quite helpful in seeing what does not work together with what works. I like that it doesn't claim to be a giant or a pro. Quite humble. ...more

Jun 17, 2018 Preety rated it liked it

There are some very important messages in this book. The author stresses how important it is to write several drafts and banish the idea that the first draft must be perfect. He, rightfully so in my experience, claims that the desire for initial perfection leads to less and in the end lower quality writing. The chapter on word processors at the end was also quite outdated by now, but most of the other advice is still relevant. I did, however, find the book to contain fewer pieces of practical ad There are some very important messages in this book. The author stresses how important it is to write several drafts and banish the idea that the first draft must be perfect. He, rightfully so in my experience, claims that the desire for initial perfection leads to less and in the end lower quality writing. The chapter on word processors at the end was also quite outdated by now, but most of the other advice is still relevant. I did, however, find the book to contain fewer pieces of practical advice than I was hoping for. I sometimes found the personal tone charming but this might not be the case for all readers. Overall, I found the book did benefit the way I think about my writing and I appreciate that it is probably very useful for social scientists to have a book published by one of their own. As a linguist I found I could still draw some general tips from the book, but now I think it is time to stop reading about writing and just do it! ...more

Mar 09, 2019 Jamie rated it liked it

Several chapters of this book were required reading for a writing class, but I hate skipping around in books. I had to read the whole thing.

Originally published in the 1980s, Becker includes some of the outdated chapters (such as one about puzzling out what your new microcomputer can do) with new add ons to bring the content up to date. Becker has an engaging style that doesn't talk down to the reader or turn the reader off. He simply gives his advice about writing while slamming the over-schola

Several chapters of this book were required reading for a writing class, but I hate skipping around in books. I had to read the whole thing.

All of the lessons of the book basically boil down to this: just write, because you can always rewrite.

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Written in a very approachable and reflexive style, this timeless, handy book offers invaluable suggestions grounded in Becker's experience for how to think about academic writing from start to finish. From imposter syndrome to the role that theory plays in influencing/limiting how you approach your topic to avoiding unnecessary neologisms by familiarizing oneself with the literature, the book is full of gems from a lifetime of experience that allows budding scholars to stand on Becker's shoulde Written in a very approachable and reflexive style, this timeless, handy book offers invaluable suggestions grounded in Becker's experience for how to think about academic writing from start to finish. From imposter syndrome to the role that theory plays in influencing/limiting how you approach your topic to avoiding unnecessary neologisms by familiarizing oneself with the literature, the book is full of gems from a lifetime of experience that allows budding scholars to stand on Becker's shoulders and not have to painstakingly learn the same lessons through trial and error. This is a book every fledgling academic should read and one worth revisiting every so often. ...more

May 06, 2019 dia rated it really liked it

I was lucky enough to find a copy of this for really cheap and I'm glad I took my time to read it.
It's a small book with good advice (not the best, but it's a good introduction) for academic writers.
The best of it was probably seeing how - no matter the time (considering this is an 80s publication, and that's the edition I read) - everyone goes through the same anxiety and struggles.
I wish I had read this sooner in my academic life tbh.~~also the 9th chapter about computers felt so Old, oh my go~~ I was lucky enough to find a copy of this for really cheap and I'm glad I took my time to read it.
It's a small book with good advice (not the best, but it's a good introduction) for academic writers.
The best of it was probably seeing how - no matter the time (considering this is an 80s publication, and that's the edition I read) - everyone goes through the same anxiety and struggles.
I wish I had read this sooner in my academic life tbh.~~also the 9th chapter about computers felt so Old, oh my god............~~ ...more

Jan 10, 2020 Perdana rated it it was amazing

Everyone, especially in non-creative social science-related writing, should read this book. I like how Howie (as sociologists love to call him that way?)/Prof. Becker champions for clarity in academic writing without sacrificing the poetics. His tips are very sharp and practical. He also lets one of his students to counterwrite his preposition about writing (esp outlining). Ubercool.

Apr 09, 2020 Daichi rated it really liked it

note to self:
- just write something, dont pursue perfection from the first draft (its called a first draft for a reason)
- organization customs and expectations vary (and somewhat shapes your approach to writing)
- share your work with trusted friends
- do not let the existing literature shape your argument ("why not cite x?") note to self:
- just write something, dont pursue perfection from the first draft (its called a first draft for a reason)
- organization customs and expectations vary (and somewhat shapes your approach to writing)
- share your work with trusted friends
- do not let the existing literature shape your argument ("why not cite x?") ...more

I'm not actually abandoning it - I think it's a very helpful primer about writing social science papers, book, theses, etc - but it's more of a reference book than something to just read through all at once and I am not currently working towards writing anything. I just want it off my "currently reading" list. I'm not actually abandoning it - I think it's a very helpful primer about writing social science papers, book, theses, etc - but it's more of a reference book than something to just read through all at once and I am not currently working towards writing anything. I just want it off my "currently reading" list. ...more

Dec 07, 2017 Deepika Saluja rated it really liked it

I felt like the book is talking to me, empathizing with me for all the struggles I went through in completing my thesis draft and now improving it. A book so relevant even after decades of it being written, a must-read for everyone who wants to understand the writing process and get through it!

Sure, the book is a bit dated, but over all it delivers help with getting started writing, and provdides an excellent analysis of academia as an institution and why it causes writers block. Now back to my paper..

Jun 12, 2020 Ahmed rated it really liked it

Great book! Do not expect to tell you how to organize your thesis into chapters (introduction / literature review ...). It is mainly concerned with writing and the troubles one faces during writing. How to get it done.

The book is well written, clear, and light.

Full comments on PC. Documents.

A wonderful, humorous, lighthearted but deep hitting book on writing, both about sociology and from a sociological and somewhat psychological view. I'm very pleased my instructor encouraged us to read this in preparation for the Thesis! A wonderful, humorous, lighthearted but deep hitting book on writing, both about sociology and from a sociological and somewhat psychological view. I'm very pleased my instructor encouraged us to read this in preparation for the Thesis! ...more

May 20, 2017 Terri Lynn rated it really liked it

I really liked this book which I read for one of my doctoral courses. Becker writes in a friendly and personal way and offers a lot of good advise about the writing process.

The advice did not present practical tools for application rather general nuances on working through a lengthy research paper.

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From non-fiction to fantasy, here are Goodreads members' top 12 most popular books from each of the past five years. And we're delighted to...

"None of these classy locutions mean anything different from the simpler ones they replace. They work ceremonially, not semantically. Writing in a classy way to sound smart means writing to sound like, maybe even be, a certain kind of person. Sociologists, and other scholars, do that because they think (or hope) that being the right kind of person will persuade others to accept what they say as a persuasive social science argument." — 4 likes

"Outlines can help, but not if you begin with them. If you begin, instead, by writing down everything, by spewing out your ideas as fast as you can type, you will discover the answer to the first question: the fragments you have to work with are the various things you have just written." — 4 likes

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Books to Read About Writing in Social Science or About Social Science

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Books to Read About Writing in Social Science or About Social Science

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