Customer Reviews

The Writer's Digest Dictionary of Concise Writing

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As a professor of social work and public health, I would unhesitatingly recommend Robert Fiske's "Dictionary of Concise Writing" to my students. This is just the sort of book by which they, along with anyone else who uses the English language, can immeasureably profit. What's more, the books opening chapters are a delight to read. Anyone who can write, as Mr. Fiske does, "With a dash of panache and a dollop of polish, our words will approach perfection" has, quite simply, got to be read. Professor Betty J. RuthBoston University

I love this guy! His book is great! Talking with him must be like talking to the Oracle of concise writing. Once you start reading his book, every few sentences you'll find a phrase that catches you with the phrase's clarity. Like, "Wow! That is clear!" He gives specific substitutions of commonly used phrases in his book- a dictionary full. That's great for when you need to pull it out in the middle of what you're writing. You know, when you're writing and you fear that what you wrote will put your reader to sleep? Mr. Fiske adds his perspective - including examples to illustrate his own opinions - of the writing failings of academics, politicians, journalists, businesspeople, lawyers. But pages 33 to 336 of Mr. Fiske's book belong to his dictionary. Each entry in Mr. Fiske's dictionary is actually a word or phrase followed by concise substitutions for that word/phrase, and then two examples. The first example shows the head word/phrase in a sentence. The second example shows a substitution in the first example's sentence of the head word with a replacement word/phrase. This book is clear enough for a kid in seventh grade. If you are brave enough to regularly check your writing using the "Dictionary of Concise Writing", your writing will gain clarity and punch.

This book is great if one wants to wrtie effective letters and reports--anything with conciseness. I haven't got the book in my library but I heard great things about it and I plan to buy it. Robert Hartwell Fiske really helps better understand English business language with ease. This book also gives you ensight how concise writing is used. The digest book is filled with to-day, today phases that would get your point across. I recommend this book highly to those that write for business and technical envorinment.

This book is great if one wants to wrtie effective letters and reports--anything with conciseness. It helps one better understand English business language with ease. This book also gives you ensight how concise writing is used. The digest book is filled with to-day, today phases that would get your point across. I recommend this book highly to those that write for business and technical envorinment.

Well, this book was an interesting read the first time through. Unfortunately, I can't see ever actually using it agian. It was all stuff I mostly knew before reading, or learned while reading.

When I bought the book, I was hoping for more of a dictionary that I could use time and again to reference things. However, when I come to something that I think is wordy, I find it easy to just write it another way without reference a book. Perhaps this just wasn't the book for me.

Now, I do think that this book would be great for new writers, though I bet that they will end up not using it much as well.