The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Writing on the Job with Tips from Communications Experts at the Fortune 500 [Paperback]

Helen Cunningham (Author), Brenda Greene (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071382305 | ISBN-13: 978-0071382304 | Publication Date: February 12, 2002 | Edition: 1

In the everyday work world, most professionals are on their own when it comes to writing reports, memos, proposals, and other necessary correspondence. The Business Style Handbook is a practical and comprehensive guide that focuses specifically on the writing issues that frequently arise on the job. Insights and feedback from Fortune 500 communications executives provide tips and advice on improving writing style and effectiveness, while more than 1,200 alphabetized entries cover the essentials of style and usage, grammatical concepts, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you're the leader of an organization, have you helped those who report to you improve their written communication skills? I suggest you do so by picking up a copy of The Business Style Handbook for yourself and others in your organization." - Michael J. Dowling, EzineArticles.com

"A handy up-to-date guide for professional business correspondence, including e-mail and memos." -- Amazon's Listmania, Laure-Madeleine

"An excellent read. No other book covers this topic with greater clarity and scope, presented by lively and intelligent authors." -- Mercury Retail, New Zealand

"Parents of college grads can present a gift that will do more than collect dust on a coffee table." -- Savannah Now, Pamela E. Walck

"This book helps graduates make the transition ... to breezy business-speak, stressing the importance of brevity, accuracy and clarity." -- San Antonio Express-News, Rene A. Guzman

"Today public relations writers have access to their own stylebook, the newly published Business Style Handbook." -- O'Dwyer's PR Daily, Fraser P. Seitel

An ambitious undertaking...to create the authoritative guide to correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, word usage and e-etiquette for business writing. -- Sky Magazine, November 2002

It has new terms, particularly business and high-tech terms, you won't find, at least without difficulty, in your standard references. -- Writing That Works, September 2002

Recommended book. -- Leadership and Management Training Continuum, Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State

Style guide for business writing...also reports results of a survey of Fortune 500 companies and offers guidelines for email. -- Booknews

We like this book ... because it is filled with business-focused guidance unlike any other usage guide. -- National Investor Relations Institute

I was asked to teach a course on business writing to a local hospital's IT department. It seemed that the IT Director was sick and tired of reading illiterate memos, reports, and letters... The book I chose to use as a text for the course was the Business Style Handbook. --Teach IT Now, May 24, 2008

Among "our favorite picks for innovative and comprehensive books on business writing." --Business Writing Institute

The information and guidance offered early on is simple and helpful; the "A-to-Z Entries" found in the second half of the book will prove to be a useful reference for your everyday writing. Is e-mail hyphenated? Are department names capitalized? Find out by flipping through the alphabetized entries and be sure that all of your writing is consistent and polished. --HR411.com

Recommended handbook. This book is very helpful if English is your 2nd language. --Building Successful Careers, Elizabeth Xu, June 15, 2009

This is a practical and comprehensive guide that focuses specifically on writing issues that frequently arise on the job. This book is an invaluable resource for writing reports, memos, proposals, emails and other business correspondence. --Monster.com, Top Resources for Business Writing, by Beverly West

From the Author

In today's competitive job market (January 2009), it is more important than ever to write well at work. And if you're looking for a new position, good communication skills will give you an edge, so be sure your resume and cover letters are clearly written and error-free.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071382305
• ISBN-13: 978-0071382304
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Write to the Point, December 28, 2002

By 

"mrsfaganselves" (huntington, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Writing on the Job with Tips from Communications Experts at the Fortune 500 (Paperback)

This book may be the handiest and clearest book of tips on basic business writing I've read in a long time. The book's tips on writing clearly and for the reader of the office memo or e-mail are direct, short and to the point.

It doesn't waste words but it doesn't omit a lot of topics, either. For example, a memo writer is reminded to "write as you speak--if you speak clearly." Thousands, no, millions, of words have been devoted to this topic. This one sentence sums it up nicely.

Some may quibble with minor points in the book. For example, it advises readers not to capitalize the "The" in newspaper names because some papers use a "the" and some don't. To my way of thinking (and training), that's a question easily resolved by finding out what the newspaper uses. But this is a tiny point.

I much prefer the authors' valuable and wide-ranging bits of information:

khan: lowercase this term, which is a title for a ruler, an official or an important person in India and some central Asian countries.

c.o.d.: Use c.o.d. with periods for all references. It stands for cash on delivery. Without periods, it could be confused with the word cod, as in fish.
saccharin/saccharine: Often misspelled. The first is a sugar substitute; the second means overly sweet.

And so on, touching on topics from A to Z, as billed. I highly recommend this book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A writing handbook with cultural and social backgrounds, July 8, 2004

By 

"jerryhu" (Beijing and New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Writing on the Job with Tips from Communications Experts at the Fortune 500 (Paperback)

A while ago, a friend asked me to review some business correspondence when I was in Beijing. Subsequently, I always thought that it would be helpful to find him some business writing reference books. When I came across The Business Style Handbook (in both English and Chinese), I recommended them to my friend.

The book is very practical. It differs from a regular dictionary in that it contains not only definitions for terms but also their cultural and social backgrounds. Look for the references for items such as 360-degree review, 401(k) or cookie. They are very helpful to people with different language backgrounds. Another advantage is the included examples, such as how to properly use kudos. Additionally, the first five chapters provide an excellent summary on modern business writing. In all, no matter it is for a beginner or as a reference, the book provides a lot of value to its readers.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest handbook, June 15, 2002

By 

Tracy Lam (West Paterson, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Writing on the Job with Tips from Communications Experts at the Fortune 500 (Paperback)

English is not my first language but I need to write clearly, quickly, and without errors to succeed in my job. This book is my secret weapon. It is well organized and easy to use. The A-Z section answers a lot of questions I have about language and the chapters on business writing contain good advice for writing more effectively.