title: Reflections and recommendations on writing textbooks in the course of a career in academia.
abstract: The genesis of this paper was notification to the author that he would receive the 2010 Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education, which carried the responsibility of giving a lecture at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. He decided to draw on his remembrances of writing several textbooks during a 40 year career as a professor to discuss the facets of writing that a faculty member might encounter. This paper is an expanded version of that lecture [J. H. Ginsberg, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 128, 2389 (2010)]. An opening section elucidating the author's experiences as an author is followed by a discussion intended to motivate and encourage those who are undecided about taking on this activity. Suggestions are offered as to how to organize and proceed through a writing project as well as what elements should be included. An explanation of the author's role in the process of producing a printed textbook is provided. Guidance is offered as to how one can focus on writing a book in the face of teaching, research, and personal responsibilities. The closure discusses current trends that endanger the ongoing flow of high quality textbooks.
authors.affiliation: G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0405, USA. jerry.ginsberg@me.gatech.edu
authors.forename: Jerry H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D001319:Authorship; D002321:Career Choice; D006801:Humans; D018973:Intellectual Property; D009042:Motivation; D024382:Professional Role; D013782:Textbooks as Topic