The Economist Style Guide, Eighth Edition (The Economist Series) [Hardcover]

The Economist (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 186197535X | ISBN-13: 978-1861975355 | Publication Date: June 2003 | Edition: 8th

The Economist is renowned for the clarity, style, and precision of its writing. This new, expanded edition of a strong selling guide (over 400,000 sold to date internationally) is based on The Economist's own in-house style manual and gives general advice on writing, points out common errors and clich$es, offers guidance on punctuation, abbreviations, and capital letters, and contains an exhaustive range of reference material--covering everything from accountancy ratios and stock market indices to laws of nature and science.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Rare is the style guide that a person--even a word person--would want to read cover to cover. But The Economist Style Guide, designed, as the book says, to promote good writing, is so witty and rigorous as to be irresistible. The book consists of three parts. The first is the Economist's style book, which acts as a position paper of sorts in favor of clear, concise, correct usage. The big no-noes listed in the book's introduction are: "Do not be stuffy.... Do not be hectoring or arrogant.... Do not be too pleased with yourself.... Do not be too chatty.... Do not be too didactic.... [And] do not be sloppy." Before even getting to the letter B, we are reminded that aggravate "means make worse, not irritate or annoy"; that an alibi "is the proven fact of being elsewhere, not a false explanation"; and that anarchy "means the complete absence of law or government. It may be harmonious or chaotic."

Part 2 of the book describes many of the spelling, grammar, and usage differences between British and American English. While many Briticisms are familiar to most Americans and vice versa, there are some words--such as homely, bomb, and table--that take on quite different meanings altogether when they cross the Atlantic. And part 3 offers a handy reference to such information as common business abbreviations, accountancy ratios, the Beaufort Scale, commodity-trade classifications, currencies, laws, measures, and stock-market indices. The U.S. reader should be aware (but not scared off by the fact) that some of the style issues addressed are specifically British. --Jane Steinberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“The Economist Style Guide is packed with good sense.”
—The Observer

“All manner of excellent advice, steering effortlessly down the narrow path between purism and pedantry.”
—Daily Express

"Think of this book as a doctor for writers. If you are responsible for writing anything for your business from a flyer to a 100-page report, from a two-minute sales pitch to an after-dinner speech, then I cannot recommend this book too highly."
—BetterBusiness

"Hone your written skills with the aid of this invaluable guide."
—Good Book Guide --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press; 8th edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 186197535X
• ISBN-13: 978-1861975355
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,974,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Style guidance at its best, July 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Economist Style Guide, Eighth Edition (The Economist Series) (Hardcover)

Simple. Straightforward. Writing instruction as you would expect from perhaps the best magazine on the planet. Clear, concise, to the point. If you want to write well, then buy this book.