Writing Books For Fun and Profit #6: Acknowledgements

So, that dictionary is finally written. It took more than three years to write, and was consequently mostly produced under pandemic conditions. Some people who would not normally have had time to help found it a?worthwhile distraction. Others who wanted to help found themselves with other priorities.?I am grateful to all who helped.

But anyway, the files are all ready to upload to the publisher's server, bar one, the "Acknowledgements" section. I always leave that until the end, as people carry on helping me until the end. Tom Nicholson arranged for me to have permission for an additional illustration in the last week, and many people have been taking part in the continuing discussion to clarify the meaning of words, most recently to do with the difference between "slips" and dogs" (Thanks due to Tyler et al).

These discussions were essential to my aims in writing the book, especially the one around "Risk" (there were many contributors there, but Miguel's signposting of Christopher's article on the many ISO definitions was very helpful). People like Chris Brookes-Mann , Paddy Kitching , Vijay Sarathy , Grant Lukies and Stuart Smart who reliably engage with most of the discussions are also worthy of mention. Thanks to all of you, and those I have not mentioned here.

It is planned that these essential discussions will move over to a dedicated site at Elsevier after publication of the dictionary. There's no way I can have produced more than 10,000 definitions of terms which all engineers are going to agree with. Being as correct as possible involves engagement with those who use these terms. They mean what we think they mean.

The nature of the book means that this public discussion process has been more important than usual, and my standard methodology of having hundreds of my fellow engineers review chapters in their specialization has been a little less important. No-one is an expert on terms beginning with "A"!

Nevertheless, a great many of you have assisted with corrections, opinions and necessary additions to the draft text, none more prolifically than Felix Sirovski , Susan Jaques , Martin Armstrong , Andy Gelbart , Charles Sanderson , Claudio Arato , Rick Rhead , Laurence Ashley and Bhavik Mehta . This could be a far longer list (and it will be in the corresponding section of the book), I know that many who gave essential assistance are not mentioned. My apologies and thanks in equal measure to all of you.