Dear Prospective EGL 111 Student:

 EGL 111, Introduction to Business and Technical Writing, is a late-starting, 12-week class which begins on September 18, 2010 and ends on December 11, 2010.

It is an introductory course, emphasizing the types of writing situations most often encountered in the workplace.  The course deals with writing memos, reports, proposals, and various types of business letters. Please follow the Syllabus and Course Overview links here on my  web page for additional information

Important Information about the Books

The required textbook for the course is Writing That Works by Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, and Gerald Alred.  In addition, I recommend the Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage by Beason and Lester for those feel the need for additional work on grammar in their writing.  The books will be available at the Skokie campus bookstore, or from eFollett, the online wing of Oakton's bookstore. 

The current edition of Writng That Works is the 10th, but it exists in two versions, each with its own International Standard Book Number (ISBN). There is Writing That Works; Communicating Effectrively on the Job, published October 2009, with the ISBN 978-0-312-54182-8. And then the publisher printed a new version, Writing That Works--with 2009 MLA and 2010 APA Updates in June 2010,  with the ISBN of 978-0-312-69217-9.  The Oakton bookstore is only able to obtain the June 2010 edition from its suppliers, but the October 2009 version is still available new from Amazon and other online sellers..

The October 2009 version of the 10th edition has been around long enough that there are used copies available from online sellers, but the prices aren't much of a discount from the June 2010 version.

Therefore, while the 10th will be the officially-recommended edition, on my weekly assignment sheets for readings and homework exercises, I will give page numbers for both the current 10th edition, and  the earlier 9th edition.

Good-quality, reasonably-priced copies of the 9th edition appear to be in plentiful  supply through online vendors like Half.com, and the other vendors listed under the Online Used Book Dealerslink here on my web page.(As I write this, Half.com is listing nearly 80 copies of the 9th edition in New or Like-New condition for prices ranging between $5 and $40, with the majority less than $30.}

If you decide to purchase a used copy of the 9th edition, this point is crucial:

Search by International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Every edition of every book has a different  ISBN. To make sure that you  you get the correct, full, 9th edition of the book,  use this ISBN when searching:  978-0-312-44844-8

I would also advise you to delay purchasing the Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage until the course is underway and I can  determine whether you will benefit from the additional assistance it provides. If you do need to purchase it, there are also many good-quality, reasonably-priced copies to be found in the used book market, and I won't care whether you use the 5th edition or an earlier one.

My phone number is (847) 635-1435, office B-200 on the Skokie campus. My office hours are 10:00 AM to Noon Tuesdays and 11:00 AM to Noon and 1:00 PM to to 2:00 PM Fridays, and by appointment. My e-mail, which is generally the fastest way to contact me, is: mmcnett@oakton.edu.

If you have questions, please contact me. 

Best regards,

Michael McNett

Michael McNett
Instructor
mmcnett@oakton.edu