How to Write: Communicating Ideas and Information [Paperback]

Herbert E. Meyer (Author), Jill M. Meyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0935166076 | ISBN-13: 978-0935166071

The New York Times' William Safire calls How to Write "The most helpful book the beginning writer can buy." No wonder it's sold more than 200,000 copies worldwide! Whether you are a student, a professional -- or an aspiring writer -- this little handbook will teach you how to communicate your ideas and information clearly and concisely. It will show you how to organize for any writing project, how to turn out a first draft, and how to polish that draft into a finished product.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It is hard to imagine a more practical how-to book on the subject of writing than the one turned out by this husband and wife team. The Meyers provide numerous clear and detailed guidelines that will be a godsend to the novice struggling with his/her first writing project, as well as a welcome aid to the more seasoned writer occasionally floundering about for just the right technique to develop an idea. -- Voice of Youth Advocates

Reading "How to Write" is like discovering the trick behind a magic act. Once the act is understood, it isn't nearly as awesome as it had seemed. It becomes almost easy to learn and execute. "How to Write" can be read in less than an hour and should be kept thereafter between the dictionary and the thesaurus. -- Harriet Gerard, Hearst Feature Service

Seamless, clear prose is what "How to Write" is about. Like Strunk's classic, "Elements of Style," and Fowler's masterful volume, "The King's English," the Meyer book is about common sense. -- Wesley Pruden, The Washington Times

This is the most helpful book the beginning writer can buy. -- William Safire, The New York Times

From the Publisher

This book is widely used in colleges and universities throughout the world, not only in writing courses but in all courses whose instructors want to emphasize the importance of clear and concise communication. In addition, businesses throughout the world use "How to Write" as a guide, as do parents who are home schooling their children.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Storm King Pr (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935166076
• ISBN-13: 978-0935166071
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,584,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Herbert E. Meyer is a leading authority on the use of information.

During the Reagan Administration, Mr. Meyer served as Special Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence and Vice Chairman of the CIA's National Intelligence Council. In these positions, he managed production of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimates and other top-secret projections for the President and his national security advisers. Mr. Meyer is widely credited with being the first U.S. Government official to forecast the Soviet Union's collapse -- a forecast for which he later was awarded the U.S. National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, which is the Intelligence Community's highest honor.

Formerly an associate editor of FORTUNE, he has authored several books including The War Against Progress, Real-World Intelligence, and Hard Thinking. Mr. Meyer and his wife, Jill, are co-authors of How to Write, which is among the world's most widely used writing handbooks.

Mr. Meyer's essays on Intelligence and Politics have been published in The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, Policy Review and The American Thinker.

Mr. Meyer is host and producer of The Siege of Western Civilization, a DVD that outlines the threats to America's security, economy, and culture.

These days, Mr. Meyer is a popular speaker on the lecture circuit. He delivers his overview of global trends and developments, entitled What in the World is Going On?, to corporations, business associations, student organizations and public affairs groups throughout the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential book for anyone who writes anything, January 9, 2002

By 

Eddie Ginley "cityfolks" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write: Communicating Ideas and Information (Paperback)

How good is this book? After I read it, I immediately bought copies for everyone in the office. The Meyers breakdown of the writing process is a huge help for writing anything, including reports, fiction and even e-mail.
The book is easy, even fun, to read. It also adheres to the authors recommendations for conciseness, clarity, etc., which only adds to the authority of their advice.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Clear explanation of the basics., August 11, 2003

By 

railmeat (Emeryville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write: Communicating Ideas and Information (Paperback)

How to Write offers a clear explanation of how to produce any kind of written document. This slim ( 110 page ) book offers concise instructions with good examples of how to go about producing a good report, essay or article.

There is nothing new in this book. There really should not be. Everything in this book should have been covered in any high school English class. This book will be helpful for anyone how needs a refresher, or did not learn this when they should have. In my reading of business documents and some magazine articles I see a lot of documents that could have been improved by using the methods discussed in this text.

If this book can be criticized, it would be because it is too short. It only really covers basic ideas. The authors assume you are doing a few limited kinds of expository writing. However I consider that a strength. It keeps the book simple and to the point.