Customer Reviews

The Classic Guide to Better Writing: Step-by-Step Techniques and Exercises to Write Simply, Clearly and Correctly

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Most people hated writing essays in school. At work, memorandums continue to be a pain to read . . . and an even bigger pain to write.

For the last three years, I've encouraged my graduate students to begin their studies by writing an essay based on Adler's and Van Doren's How to Read a Book. Then, I ask the same students to read The Classic Guide to Better Writing, summarize its key points in 1,000 words, and then write 2,500 words about what they learned about how to improve the last essay they wrote.

After that experience, each student has become an effective writer . . . even though most were not before reading and applying this book.

I don't know of another resource that is nearly as effective for learning how to be an effective writer of essays.

Although it takes time to develop this foundation skill, you'll save much more time in the long run . . . and be much more effective in whatever you do if you read and apply Dr. Flesch's classic.

Be sure to do the exercises!

the most cogent and USEFUL guide to writing crisp, clean sentences. if you're the type of person who learns best by example, this is your bible.

This is a great book as a self learner or for use in the classroom. I use it as a college textbook for beginning English Composition. It provides a great review for things the student has forgotten from high school and gives a good foundation for writing more effective communications. This provides a worthwhile basis for all kinds of writing from casual letters to formal, academic term papers. It teaches about sentence structure, clauses, phrases, prepositions, exact wording, spelling, and much more. I recommend the book highly whether you are on your own or even if you are selecting a book for your students.

Even though I finish most books I read, I couldn't get through this one. It was like attending school: bloody boring and filled with exercises. I decided I would go through a chapter a night, but my decision was in vain - after a few nights, I quit. I recommend instead "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser. I couldn't put it down. Also recommended, of course, is "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White.

The main author of this book, Rudolph Flesch, has made a mark on writing that is even reflected in Microsoft Word, which includes a rating for your text, giving readability and grade level. If you have never used this in Word, then you are missing a tool that will change your writing forever.

Not only does this book teach you how to write well, in a way that is easy to read and with total accuracy, but the very text itself shows you how you should write any book that involves some form of teaching.

The English is clear and simple to follow, just like the kind of text I can produce using the Flesch ratings in MS Word. Just reading this book without even using the principles that are taught will show you how you should be writing.

Any writer who hopes to create books that people will want to read, should own a copy of this book. I bought several after reading my first copy, so that I could hand them out to my friends and family.

Although it was written by two people, you cannot tell which part came from which author. They flow together as one. And the exercises at the end of every chapter give you all you need to practice the skills.

As for the person who complained about this book and recommended 'On Writing Well' by William Zinsser, he clearly has no clue. I ordered the Zinsser book at the same time as this book. It was boring just like all the other books I have read on writing, and filled with typical intellectual language. I had to re-read the text all the time, and got nothing useful out of it at all.

If you have any desire at all to become a writer, then do yourself a favor and get a copy of this book. And keep it at hand to refer back to all the time. It will prevent you from writing the kind of garbage that most writers are churning out these days.

If you are looking for a way to write fiction though, this is not the only book you need. It will help you write better, but it will not teach you how to write or publish your book. It will just help you write language that everyone can understand.

This book, his other books, plain and simple: you can never go wrong with anything Rudolph Flesch has written about writing, speaking or thinking.

Look also for the dated and perhaps out of print "How to Write Speak and Think Effectively" and The Art of Clear Thinking".

The book is okay until Chapter 17: Bias Free Writing.

I'm not certain if it's a sermon from the Gospel of Political Correctness, or an excuse for the authors to be scolds. And they have a problem with every form of group affiliation. The Special Olympics gets a slap, too. "Special" is now, officially, a hateful word. They suggest you regularly consult with all the different ethnic and social groups to learn what's okay to say.

I'm reminded of an astronomy lecture I attended many years ago. The featured speaker was to talk about his career in astronomy. And he did for much of his presentation. But at the end he digressed to talking about his religious convictions, and the speech became an attack on those who held different beliefs. The president of the astronomy association finally had enough and told the man to shut up and leave.

Much of the book is informative and I learned a few helpful tricks.

But! Guys? Shut up and go away.

excellent!

I AM RUNNING LATE SOMEWHERE SO I WILL MAKE THIS QUICK. ALOT OF GRAMMAR YES I KNOW. BUT THE BOOK IS VERY HELPFUL..GREAT TO FOLLOW AND I ACTUALLY BOUGHT THREE THAT IMPROVED MY WRITING. I ACTUALLY FIND IT EASIER TO BE TO WRITE AND I HAVE MORE OF MY IDEAS ON PAPER.