You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. A new Foreword by Roger Angell reminds readers that the advice of Strunk & White is as valuable today as when it was first offered.This book's unique tone, wit and charm have conveyed the principles of English style to millions of readers. Use the fourth edition of "the little book" to make a big impact with writing.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"...a marvellous and timeless little book... Here, succinctly, elegantly and without fuss are the essentials of writing clear, correct English." John Clare, "The Telegraph"
From the Back Cover
Some acclaim for previous editions:
"Buy it, study it, enjoy it. It's as timeless as a book can be in our age of volubility."
— The New York Times
"No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume."
— The Boston Globe
"White is one of the best stylists and most lucid minds in this country. What he says and his way of saying it are equally rewarding."
— The Wall Street Journal
"The book remains a nonpareil: direct, correct, and delightful."
— The New Yorker
". . . Should be the daily companion of anyone who writes for a living, and for that matter, anyone who writes at all."
— Greensboro (N.C.) Daily News
"This excellent book, which should go off to college with every freshman, is recognized as the best book of its kind we have."
— St. Paul Dispatch – Pioneer Press
"It's hard to imagine an engineer or a manager who doesn't need to express himself in English prose as part of his job. It's also hard to imagine a writer who will not be improved by a liberal application of The Elements of Style."
— Telephone Engineer & Management
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
397 of 420 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When I write a book I use only a handful of reference tools: dictionary, thesaurus, Gregg's Reference Handbook, Writers Market, and the Elements of Style. Strunk and White is a wonderfully-written, extraordinarily concise tool that pays homage to classic high-end English. It takes language insight to make this prediction in 1979: "By the time this paragraph makes print, uptight... rap, dude, vibes, copout, and funky will be the words of yesteryear." The book begins with eleven "Elementary Rules of Usage," and then continues with eleven more "Elementary Rules of Composition," and eleven "Matters of Form." Each is presented as a brief statement followed by another sentence or two of explanation and a few clarifying examples. This amazing compilation fills only thirty-eight pages, yet covers ninety percent of good writing fundamentals. My favorite section is Chapter IV, a twenty-seven-page, alphabetical listing of commonly misused words and expressions. Here's a trade secret: when my manuscript is "done," I then turn to this chapter and use my word processor's Find function to study every instance of all these problematic words and phrases. I never fail to find errors this way. Many great writers are so only because they've learned to make use of the best available tools. The end of the book contains an essay on "An Approach to Style" with a list of twenty-one "Reminders." Those who fight the apparently-natural tendency to go against these recommendations succeed as writers. Those who don't, fail. It's that simple. The single drawback of The Elements of Style is that it's too concise; it does not stand alone as an all-encompassing tutorial or reference guide. Many readers will seek other sources for more in-depth explanation of style elements.... Read more ›
133 of 143 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As the 'rules' in this iconic book take up only 14 pages, it continually amazes me how often I can find the answer to a grammar or punctuation guestion within those pages. It doesn't cover everything, and some of the 'rules' are of course changing with the passage of time - but if a wannabe writer can't afford a whole bookcase of tomes on How to Write, then this is the one he or she should buy.
Beyond those 14 pithy pages, however, are another 100 or so that extend the value of the book immeasurably: Principles of Composition, Commonly Misused Words, and perhaps the most valuable: An Approach to Style, which gives excellent advice along the lines of Do not overwrite, Avoid qualifiers, Don't over-explain, Avoid adverbs, Avoid dialect, Don't inject opinion, and tons of others.
When all's said and done, however, one of the very best parts is a wonderful essay by the inimitable EB White himself - the Introduction, which serves as a perfect example of all that the rest of the small book preaches: write concisely, clearly, and well, and say something worthwhile.
Other books for writers to consider: Bird by Bird, On Writing, and Writing Down the Bones.
Beyond those 14 pithy pages, however, are another 100 or so that extend the value of the book immeasurably: Principles of Composition, Commonly Misused Words, and perhaps the most valuable: An Approach to Style, which gives excellent advice along the lines of Do not overwrite, Avoid qualifiers, Don't over-explain, Avoid adverbs, Avoid dialect, Don't inject opinion, and tons of others.
When all's said and done, however, one of the very best parts is a wonderful essay by the inimitable EB White himself - the Introduction, which serves as a perfect example of all that the rest of the small book preaches: write concisely, clearly, and well, and say something worthwhile.
Other books for writers to consider: Bird by Bird, On Writing, and Writing Down the Bones.
373 of 418 people found the following review helpful
By EMAN NEP
Format:Paperback
While skimming through Stephen King's book ON WRITING, he highly recommended THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE. Taking his advice I searched for a copy and found one in a free bin--of all places! I looked at it and decided that it was so much better than any other textbook that I had seen that I decided to WRITE IT. Three pages a day for a month or so. It's a very short book, only about 80 pages or so. You learn everything from words that are often spelled wrong, to punctuation, to style, etc. Very blunt and to the point. No exercises in here, problems 1 - 10 all. Nope, you just read this book and enjoy it. Why, there's actually a little humor in it at times, which is pretty good for a textbook. Now I've heard some people say that this book is bad because it is saying to follow all these rules and don't stray from them. I think they got it all wrong. This book is essentially saying this: you can't blaze new trails in the English language without having a solid foundation in the basics first! This goes for ANYTHING. You don't suddenly set off an a 200 mile trek, you slowly work up to it, starting from the basics. After you have mastered the basics, then you can break free. One thing that this book continually points out is that it is OFTEN A MATTER OF EAR. Meaning that if you are experienced enough, you will know whether to stick to the traditional or whether to be liberal when phrasing something, for example. By far this is the most talked-about textbook that I've seen and the most valuable.
55 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was looking for a book with basic rules of english grammar to improve the presentation in my recent report and forthcoming thesis. Something that had all in one place, was concise, to the point and no novel-likeness. Strunk & White was the prescription. It has everything a writer needs in terms of language and some aspects of style and presentation. It speaks of the obvious but precious gems which people tend to forget over time. I am impressed with the organisation of the book. What I was really looking for was, Elements of usage and An approach to Style. I recommend this for students planning to write reports, thesis, term papers or any sort of writing that needs to be crisp and clear.The Fine Art of Technical Writing by Carol Rosenblum Perry would be an excellent along with the "little" book for students. It's a necessity if you are in the academia, it's a great aid otherwise.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old School
This review must be at least twenty words. Strunk and White would have argued that a writer can convey their point in fewer words. This is the minimalist writer’s bible. Read more
Published 15 hours ago by Dishwasher
4.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reading if you are an author.
This is a must read book if you need to self-edit your book or short story.
A very helpful book to have on your shelf.
A very helpful book to have on your shelf.
Published 3 days ago by Dunoonboy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must have book for writers
Great resource for sorting out basic word use. I keep it next to me whenever I write. This is a book all writers should own.
Published 5 days ago by Richard Davies
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book from a great seller
This book is about style of writing. You won't find ANY inane lifeless nonsense rules like "don't split infinitives" (a red herring itself). Read more
Published 5 days ago by Ehsan2235
5.0 out of 5 stars
Needed
Awesome not only does it have the information but the size is wonderful. I can carry it our put it anywhere and its fine
Published 6 days ago by Melissa
5.0 out of 5 stars
It is small, however it is powerful
It make the process to make a paper easy. I like it, because I can make a better paper like a good writer
Published 8 days ago by Marcelo
5.0 out of 5 stars
'The Little Book'
An industry standard for writers, publishers and editors. Not a light hearted read, but rather a book to have nearby to remind you of how to write. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Gary O. Shepherd
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE Writing Resource
To put it succinctly, this book was recommended to me by our English faculty at the university I work at as an editor. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Erik Staiger
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great guide for writing
My advisor suggested me this book. It seems like the bible in academics. Every graduates deserve one and read every month.
Published 20 days ago by Zhaowang Zong
5.0 out of 5 stars
All writers need this.
Anyone interested in writing, and all persons who love the English language, and want to preserve its value to generations to come, simply must have this book on your shelf.
Published 23 days ago by Fyrecurl
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