John Brady, editor of Writer's Digest and himself an accomplished interviewer, has put together an indispensable guide to the art of questioning. In a lively, down-to-earth manner, "The Craft of Interviewing" covers all aspects of the interview process -- getting the interview, doing research, handling the subject face-to-face, hurdling hazards, getting tough, taking notes (on the sly, if need be), taping, dealing with off-the-record types, concluding the interview, verifying it, and writing it up. Brady has also filled the book with a myriad of anecdotes revealing the experiences of some of the best known interviewers of our times. A noteworthy appendix on the history of the interview is included.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
You get more than you asked for but just what you need:
John Brady has written a helluva book. You think it's just about "interviewing": well, it is that, but so much more. You get elements of a fascinating autobiography. You get vignettes about some of the most important folks of the last century as object lessons about interviewing as an art. You get insights into the lives of those people who have devoted themselves to presenting, in a sensitive and coherent way, the real words of real people at moments of heightened passion (William Wordsworth: take note!).... more info
A Smart Part of a Journalist's Library:
"The Craft of Interviewing" by John Brady is just one book a beginning journalist should read. Most of journalism involves local newspapers covering local people, and despite how the internet has altered the speed and process of interviewing, good ol' gumshoe journalism still lives and breathes. That's why this book still matters 30 years after it first hit the college bookstores of j-school. A good interview requires knowledge, diplomacy, fearlessness, rapport, organization, and knowing how to... more info
Not a Cookbook, but a Guide for Thinkers:
Some people seem to be looking for just one way to conduct an interview: John Brady describes several. If you are looking for something like a cookbook where the specific questions you should ask and in what order are listed, you won't like this book. If you are looking to develop your own interview style and want to pick and choose from a variety of methods, then you will find Brady's book an excellent source of information. Brady covers everything from getting appointments to to research to notetaking to... more info
If you're an easily offended woman, you are not a journalist:
Funny, I don't remember the parts about batting eyelashes and such. This book covers the fundamentals of interviewing and pre interview research.
I found the book to be a useful tool for conducting interviews, and think that it would be very helpful to beginners. I am a nurse turned free lance writer, and the techniques and tips for securing interviews were helpful to me.
I particularly liked the section on the "wrong questions"--this should be mandatory reading for local and national news reporters.
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