From cloning to global warming, it is the most provocative issues in science that are becoming increasingly prominent in everyday life. At the same time, however, the extent of scientific knowledge has grown, and the nexus of available knowledge has become too complex for the nonscientist to navigate. Never before has the work of science writers, who bridge the gap between professional scientists and the public, been more essential.

The best guide for teaching and learning effective science writing, this second edition of A Field Guide for Science Writers improves on the classic first edition with a wider range of topics, a new slate of writers, and an up-to-date exploration of the most stimulating and challenging issues in science. In this collection of essays, nationally known science writers Deborah Blum, Mary Knudson, and Robin Marantz Henig assemble the best science writers working today to explain what they do and how to do it well. The book combines detailed and practical how-to advice with thoughtful discussions of the challenges of science journalism in the 21st century and doesn’t shy away from addressing such controversial matters as cloning, stem cell research, eugenics, medical overtreatment, and questions of scientific honesty. Offering a comprehensive overview of the field of science writing, this book discusses a broad range of media and sources, from newspapers to broadcast journalism and from corporations to government agencies. It also provides a detailed analysis of some of the hottest fields in science writing -- ranging from mental health to human genetics – and covers of a diverse array of writing styles, from "gee-whiz" to investigative.

Written by people who work for such leading news outlets as Scientific American, Popular Science, Discover, Smithsonian, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, this book is an invaluable resource for current and aspiring science writers, students and instructors in science writing and journalism, and scientists who are interested in science communication.