The Art of Readable Writing [Paperback]

Rudolf Flesch (Author), Alan J. Gould (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0020464703 | ISBN-13: 978-0020464709

The Art of Readable Writing is an indispensable guide to writing fluently. Noted language maven Dr. Rudolf Flesch moves beyond his examination of and advice on grammar and usage in The Art of Plain Talk to the more general principles of style in contemporary writing. Drawing upon a wealth of material from sources as varied as Aristotle and Life magazine, Dr. Flesch shows us how we can write more simply and effectively. His famous Readability Formula, devised specially for this book, explains how to analyze writing for its clarity and interest. Entertaining and stimulating and crammed with commonsensical advice, The Art of Readable Writing is, above all, immensely readable.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rudolf Flesch, PhD. is the author of over twenty books including The Art of Plain Talk and Johnny Can't Read.

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0020464703
• ISBN-13: 978-0020464709
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not among Flesch's best work, March 7, 2002

By 

Eric Bluestine (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Readable Writing (Paperback)

This book first appeared in 1949. In 1974, Flesch revised it by writing postscripts to each chapter. Basically he denounced much of what he had written 25 years earlier. If you're interested in learning about Flesch's readablility formula, I suggest you buy his book How to Write, Speak, and Think More Effectively, which, incidentally, is still in print and provides a good introduction to Flesch's work. My advice is to buy (used) the following books by Flesch, none of which are in print: 1) How to Make Sense (1954), 2) The Art of Clear Thinking (1951), 3) The Art of Plain Talk (1946), 4) How to be Brief (1962), and 5) Say What You Mean (1972). If you're still set on buying The Art of Readable Writing, I recommend that you buy the 25th Anniversary Edition (1974) with Flesch's improvements and corrections. I think you'll find that his postscripts are far more interesting than the original text.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a book on penmanship!, September 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Readable Writing (Paperback)

Contrary to the previous review's misinformation, this is not a book on penmanship, but a guide to improving your writing in the sense of composition. As such it is a worthwhile book, and worth your time, but probably only after you have finished with the Elements of Style.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mae a Real Impact, December 5, 2010

By 

Robert C. Newman (Philadelphia, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Readable Writing (Hardcover)

I read this book nearly fifty years ago, when I was an undergraduate at Duke. At the time, I found it very helpful, and I believe it had a significant impact for the better on my writing style. This is not to say that my style is all that good, though I am sure that it would be considerably better if I had followed all of Flesh's advice. I am in the process of reading it again, together with a pair of internationals whom I am helping with their English. The thing I (and my brother) are finding is how dated the verbal illustrations and language are, now that the book (first published in 1949) is over sixty yers old!