Can you fit authorship of textbooks into an academic career? Free

It is commonly presumed at research‐oriented universities that faculty teach well, so acheivements as a teacher are not esteemed equally to research accomplishments. Authorship of textbooks is likely to be considered a teaching activity, and it seldom is valued at a level commensurate with the effort required to write a successful book. The consequence is that many faculty are reluctant to write books. This individual’s experiences in writing textbooks on classical dynamics and vibrations are counter to these observations. Rather, the activity has been a bridge between teaching and research, with unique challenges and rewards. The author will draw on his experiences to suggest a path by which others might augment their academic endeavors by writing textbooks.