Trying to Become Better at History

I was excited to receive Robert C. Williams' The Historian's Toolbox: A Student's Guide to the Theory and Craft of History in my mailbox this weekend. I am hoping that it can help me better understand the process of doing history and what being a historian is all about.

Another good book that I just finished is How to Write A Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, written by Paul J. Silvia, PhD. He makes references to the field of psychology, but his advice can also be applied to other fields, including the liberal arts. I enjoyed his engaging down-to-earth writing style and greatly appreciated the informative section about academic writing for different end products — for example, journals, reviews and books — since they gave me better understanding of what goes into them and what to expect if I decide to write for an academic audience.