Review by Booklist Review
To fine-tune one's writing skills, it is necessary to understand why a sentence is unclear as well as how to fix it. Heavily grounded in linguistics and behavioral science, Style is a manual for serious writers, whether they are professionals or merely trying to produce readable interoffice communications. Chapters cover topics such as "Elegance," "Cohesion," "Length," and "Usage" and also train a writer to manage endings, avoid clotted abstractions, and eliminate pompous diction. Intensive fitness training for the expressive mind. Notes; to be indexed. ~--Cynthia Ogorek
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
There is certainly no shortage of handbooks on writing, many of them packed with theory, description, rules, and perhaps some examples of good writing. What most lack is directions for improving bad writing--precisely what is offered by Williams ( Origins of the English Language , LJ 8/75). He first explains what constitutes poor writing and then presents and illustrates principles that will help writers produce sentences, paragraphs, and documents that clearly and directly communicate meaning to readers. Williams focuses on achieving gracefulness without sacrificing clarity. His delineation of the needs and problems of reader and writer is enlightening and helpful. Style is evidence that the author's approach works; it embodies the principles of clarity and grace it espouses. Highly recommended.-- Craig W. Beard, Harding Univ. Lib., Searcy, Ark. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
