On Manual Writing

Desired properties of a manual:

• It’s a sincere writing addressed to a good friend who needs advice
• It’s based on real-life observations, mistakes, and unfortunate experiences
• It provides the optimal strategy for decision-making
• In controversial cases, it compares different approaches in the context of real-life problems
• If people tend to ignore specific recommendations, it explains the potential consequences
• It consists of brief ideas with references and remarks
• It doesn’t contain logical flaws and inconsistencies
• It doesn’t spend time on criticism
• It warns about unobvious risks
• It feels like common sense
• It’s clear and concise

Your input is both desired and encouraged. Manuals are designed to be “living” documents, readily adaptable to new and better ideas, and easily revised. ¹

Footnotes