The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk Jr., E. B. White
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Book Reviews of The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
Book Review: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION - A MAJOR KEY TO SUCCESS!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you wish to communicate in an impressive and politically correct manner, then you have found the appropriate book. During the course of teaching business management, I have encountered adult students with university degrees who have no discernable concept of what constitutes proper English grammar and what does not. Some individuals have the unique ability to create words, not found in any English dictionary or thesaurus, which are totally unfathomable to anyone but the user. As for grammar, the phrases, "them there books," and "in regards to," absolutely crucify the English language, particularly when used by academic scholars! However, there are basic essential elements of English grammar every individual should be able to comprehend and use. One student of mine, a former high school teacher who was preparing her written business plan, repeated the word, "I" thirteen times in the first paragraph. This same paragraph also contained four incomplete sentences. When I asked her, out of sheer curiosity, what subjects she taught in high school, her answer was....English! My dearest wish was to discretely place a copy of this book in her briefcase. Not all of us are "masters" of the English language, and that is one of the reasons we can be extremely thankful this useful book exists. There is no question, "The Elements of Style" has been around for quite a few years, but the concepts do not change with time. In general, writing and speaking skills are an essential part of everyone's life; we should be able to effectively communicate with those around us. This is certainly true if you are part of the business world. Whether you are writing a letter, report, speech or book, you will find "The Elements of Style" one of your greatest assets. It is truly a classic book with an eloquent, timeless style.
Book Review: The Fundamentals of Clear and Effective Prose.
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Elements of Style", written by Professor William Strunk Jr. in the 1910s and revised and augmented by E.B. White, his former student, in the 1950s, is still the most helpful guide to writing English prose in the smallest package. The book includes sections on: Rules of Usage, Principals of Composition, Matters of Form, Words and Expressions Commonly Misused, and a section entitled "An Approach to Style" in which Mr. White offers some excellent advice on style in the broader sense of writing that reflects the author's personality or tastes. There is also a glossary of grammar and usage terms in the back of the book. The section on English usage is useful but not comprehensive. And I believe a couple of the rules are outdated, even though this 4th edition was published in the year 2000. The rest of the book is truly dedicated to "the elements of style", meaning a writing style's most essential considerations. The authors explain, with good humor and language that is easy to understand, the "dos and don'ts" for writing clear and effective prose. These rules and recommendations can probably be summarized by saying, "Be direct and concise." But "The Elements of Style" tells the reader how to accomplish this goal. This book doesn't address how to structure a paragraph or organize an essay, so writers seeking advice on these topics will need some additional text. "The Elements of Style" is dedicated to constructing sentences in the most effective style. Middle school, high school, and college students -and anyone who would like to refresh his or her writing skills- will find "The Elements of Style" helpful, especially in writing academic prose. Messrs. Strunk and White have extracted the most essential points of writing good English, recognized the most common mistakes, and put them into this small, inexpensive and easily absorbed little book.Book Review: An Absolute Must, Regardless of One's Goals
Summary: 5 Stars
Some reviewers here have complained about a perceived rigidity and pedantry concerning this gem of a reference source. To wit: "...I think a lot of great writers, paradoxically, began making sense of their writing by abandoning sense and rules (the stuff of editors)." or "This little book approaches the craft of writing with the sort of dogmatic rigidity usually found in a backwoods cult." These reviewers then go on to rate the book with one or two stars, calling it an "odious book" or "(t)he most overrated manual of all time".As a novelist and an essayist, given to great appreciation of experimental forms and known to indulge in them with a fervor, I can say that these types of reviews are themselves narrow-minded and ill informed. One cannot possibly hope to challenge established norms until one has mastered them. Anything less than mastery of the English language in its written form, by those would endeavor to reshape it is only indicative of a mindless arrogance.
Artists such as Picasso, Ray, Kandinsky, and Pollock, revolutionary 20th century imagists who established significant alterations in the way we see art, were master artists who'd taken the time to study and command the issues of composition, balance, and color before ever presuming to break the traditions. Likewise, writers of the ilk of Joyce, Nabokov, and Kesey-individuals who toyed with the language in sometimes shocking and disturbing ways-were first master technicians of the language, knowing precisely how to step outside the box because of their careful apprehension of what is inside the box.
This book should be required reading by anyone who undertakes to communicate with the written word. It is concise and clear, and should be as much a part of any author's library as a dictionary and a thesaurus. Know your art, ladies and gentlemen!
Book Review: This is the solution
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are someone who writes -- not only if you write for a living, but if you are someone who writes in general -- this book should be on your shelf, and it's lessons should be on your mind as you put pen to paper. The book is not perfect: it can be dry at times, and a few of the "elements" it discusses will seem obvious to anyone who stayed awake during English class. But the book will illustrate the most basic and most important rules of grammar in a way that has given generations of writers the foundation and the tools they needed to develop their individual styles.
It has become a classic of English grammar, something that must seem an unlikely niche. When you see those back cover shots of authors with massive bookshelves behind them, you'll be surprised how many will include this thin volume. Even the compact and no-nonsense title has become part of the modern world's literary lexicon: look on Amazon to see how many books are called "The Elements of Style of" Something, whether it's Java script or e-mail lingo or architecture or the Unified Modeling Language.
I am still using the third edition to this book, which was first published nearly 25 years ago. I glanced through the new fourth edition a few days ago and noticed the glossary of obscure grammar terms added to the back. I thought about getting it, but the glossary wasn't enough to persuade me to retire my old dog-eared copy with its underlined passages and comments in the margins that date back to my high school days. If you have an older edition, it's likely you already know the value of these elements of style, and so it's your call whether it's worth upgrading to the new book with its glossary. But if you don't have this book, then that is a problem with only one solution.
Book Review: A must for any writer, or anyone who has to write
Summary: 5 Stars
Almost everyone has to write things sometimes--reports, memos, term papers, a number of things. Writing is an essential part of professional (or student) life. This book is a must for anyone wanting to write well--not just for professional or aspiring writers.The book is less than 100 pages, yet it is so packed with useful information and advice that it will drastically change the way you look at writing. The central theme of the book is "Edit!" The first sections deal with the need to omit needless words, to trim and cut your writing to the bare essentials. After reading these sections, you will find yourself ruthlessly attacking your own writing, striking needless words, phrases, and paragraphs, and significantly improving your technique.
There is also a section on the misuse of words--ways we typically use words out of context. There are many examples, and I don't doubt that even the best writer will find himself guilty of quite a few of them.
All these sections were written by William Strunk. They were later edited by E.B. White (a student of his), who then added the fifth and final section of this book. White's is perhaps the most useful advice. He gives us a list of "reminders," rules to help us improve our writing.
He counsels us to avoid clutter, avoid using too many big words, eliminate "qualifiers," and be clear, to name a few. This is wonderful advice, and an able conclusion to an already fascinating book.
This work is absolutely indispensable to the writer, and extremely useful to anyone else wanting to write well. As Charles Osgood aptly put it, this book is "small enough and important enough to carry in your pocket, as I carry mine." Don't miss this one.