Plain Style: A Guide to Written English [Paperback]

Christopher Lasch (Author), Stewart Weaver (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812218140 | ISBN-13: 978-0812218145 | Publication Date: May 3, 2002

Plain Style is an amusing and instructive guide to written English by the late Christopher Lasch, author of The Culture of Narcissism, The True and Only Heaven, and many other memorable works of American history and social criticism. Written for the benefit of the students at the University of Rochester, where Lasch taught from 1970 until his death in 1994, it quickly established itself in typescript as a local classic—a lively, witty, and historically minded alternative to the famous volume by William Strunk and E. B. White, The Elements of Style.

Now available for the first time in published form, Plain Style is fundamentally a clear, readable, practical guide to the timeless principles of effective composition. At the same time, however, in ways that Stewart Weaver explains in his critical introduction, it is a distinctive and revealing addition to the published work of an eminent American thinker. No mere primer, Plain Style is an essay in cultural criticism, a political treatise even, by one for whom directness, clarity, and honesty of expression were essential to the living spirit of democracy.

As the teachers and students who have for years benefited from its succinct wisdom will testify, Plain Style is an indispensable guide to writing and, indeed, Christopher Lasch's least-expected but perhaps most serviceable work.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The late Lasch, college history professor and the author of The Culture of Narcissism (1979), among other seminal works, so despaired of his graduate students' writing that he began to compile a list of common compositional errors. This list soon evolved into a full-fledged writing guide that was published for departmental use. Now, edited and with a long introduction-cum-biography by one of his colleagues, it is being marketed as a shorter, up-to-date alternative to Strunk & White's Elements of Style. The guide is divided into six parts, covering the principles of literary construction; conventions governing punctuation, capitalization, typography, and footnotes; characteristics of bad writing; words often misused; words often mispronounced; and a table of proofreaders' marks. Lasch's wry, distinctive voice is evident throughout and, in parts, will provoke outright laughter. Here's his priceless comment on the word lifestyle: "The appeal of this tired but now ubiquitous phrase probably lies in the suggestion that life is largely a matter of style. Find something else to say about life." For serious word lovers. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"The late Lasch, college history professor and the author of The Culture of Narcissism (1979), among other seminal works, so despaired of his graduate students' writing that he began to compile a list of common compositional errors. This list soon evolved into a full-fledged writing guide . . . covering the principles of literary construction; conventions governing punctuation, capitalization, typography, and footnotes; characteristics of bad writing; words often misused; words often mispronounced; and a table of proofreaders' marks. Lasch's wry, distinctive voice is evident throughout. . . . For serious word lovers."—Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (May 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812218140
• ISBN-13: 978-0812218145
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard-Hitting, Witty and Astute, October 27, 2002

By 

Elizabeth Danziger "la writer" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plain Style: A Guide to Written English (Paperback)

The introductory essay alone makes this book worthwhile -- the editor traces Lasch's evolution as a historian, and shows how his interest in plain writing evolved along with his political thinking. The examples in the text are both entertaining and informative, and the writing advice is excellent. A good resource people who care about how writing and thinking impact our society.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Update of, and Supplement to, Strunk & White, November 25, 2003

By 

T. Lum (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plain Style: A Guide to Written English (Hardcover)

Similar in style and tone (and usefulness) to Strunk & White's classic "Elements of Style". Short, pithy, intelligent. Lots of examples, followed by Professor Lasch's thoughtful, penetrating, often witty comments. Recommended for all undergrads.

9 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I appreciate what he attempted, but..., September 27, 2002

By 

David L Zumchak (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plain Style: A Guide to Written English (Paperback)

I appreciate what the author was attempting to do, but do not feel the book succeeds. It is too dry to read on its own (as a sort of William Safire-style curmudgeon rant on language), and not comprehensive enough to be a useful desk reference.

In addition, the first 30 or so pages are actually a biography of the author (who died a few years ago) by one of his colleagues. Perhaps to someone researching Lasch himself (who was, admittedly, a renown academic) this material would be interesting, but it isn't in the context of language reference.