This is a difference between popular writing and academic writing. Academic writing begins with an abstract—a summary of your position and what you argue, without any explanation of the concepts involved or arguments for your conclusions. Only then do you proceed to explanation and argument.
As for publishing, that is less important than getting it written, and getting it written well. That said, the final copy will be quite a bit different than the draft sections posted here. My copy of this opening is already quite a bit different than what you see above.
It wasn’t clear to me that you thought I was writing a popular book, since I denied that in my second paragraph (before the quoted passage from the book).
Your clarification wasn’t in the original version of the preamble that I read. Or are you claiming that you haven’t edited it? Because I clearly remember a different sentence structure.
However, I am willing to admit my memory is faulty on this.
My original clarification said that it was a cross between academic writing and mainstream writing, the result being something like ‘Epistemology and the Psychology of Human Judgment.’ That apparently wasn’t clear enough, so I did indeed change my preamble recently to be clearer in its denial of popular style. Sorry if that didn’t come through in the first round.
This is a difference between popular writing and academic writing. Academic writing begins with an abstract—a summary of your position and what you argue, without any explanation of the concepts involved or arguments for your conclusions. Only then do you proceed to explanation and argument.
As for publishing, that is less important than getting it written, and getting it written well. That said, the final copy will be quite a bit different than the draft sections posted here. My copy of this opening is already quite a bit different than what you see above.
Clearly, I and others thought you were writing a popular book. No need to “school” us on the difference.
Okay.
It wasn’t clear to me that you thought I was writing a popular book, since I denied that in my second paragraph (before the quoted passage from the book).
Your clarification wasn’t in the original version of the preamble that I read. Or are you claiming that you haven’t edited it? Because I clearly remember a different sentence structure.
However, I am willing to admit my memory is faulty on this.
CharlesR,
My original clarification said that it was a cross between academic writing and mainstream writing, the result being something like ‘Epistemology and the Psychology of Human Judgment.’ That apparently wasn’t clear enough, so I did indeed change my preamble recently to be clearer in its denial of popular style. Sorry if that didn’t come through in the first round.
And people wonder how wars get started . . .
Heh. Sorry; I didn’t mean to offend. I thought it was clear from my original preamble that this wasn’t a popular-level work, but apparently not!