Book Description
This cost-effective textbook/workbook/handbook presents a streamlined, no-nonsense approach to business communication that includes comprehensive Web resources and unparalleled author support for instructors and students. ESSENTIALS provides a three-in-one learning package: (1) authoritative text, (2) practical workbook, and (3) self-teaching grammar/mechanics handbook. Especially effective for students with outdated or inadequate language skills, ESSENTIALS offers extraordinary digital and printed exercises to help students build confidence as they review grammar, punctuation, and writing guidelines. Textbook chapters teach basic writing skills and then apply these skills to a variety of e-mails, memos, letters, reports, and resumes. Realistic model documents and structured writing assignments build lasting workplace skills. The Seventh Edition of this award-winning favorite features increased coverage of employment communication, communication technology, and professionalism in the workplace.
Customer Reviews:
Marketing Textbook.......2007-10-04
The book was in perfect condition, however, it didn't come with the user access code for internet review websites.
Best Text for Learning Communication Skills.......2007-01-04
I am an instructor for a local college. I selected the Essntials of Business Communication as the textbook for my Business Communications course after working with it in a previous class. It is the best organized text I have found with step by step instructions for students to readily grasp the techniques used in modern business documents. The book covers e-mails, memos, a variety of business letters, reports, business proposals, resumes, letters of application and communication skills for oral presentations and interviews. Lectures, examples, assignments, and grammatical challenges are pre-designed for the instructor's use, making this a turn-key system for teaching communication skills.
Yes Indeed........2006-01-30
Yes indeed this book was/is (I still crack it open)very helpful to me. Before I read this book, or took the class that used this book, I was a very bad speller. My grammer was poor and my writing technique was even worse. If this book helped me I am sure it will help you.
Excellent book for college and your career.......2000-07-29
Finally, a complete text that is always useful. I have read this book over and over... each time learning something new. It's great if you need a complete and extensive description or a quick overview. This book will go from your college backpack to the desk of your new exciting job!
An Excellent Guide to Business Writing.......2000-04-03
This book is an excellent tool for writing, especially for the non-native English writer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a study guide with many examples that have been updated for the current business environment. The numerous samples and the grammar review are very helpful for studying the fundamentals. This book is extremely relevant in a business world crowded with a cornucopia of poor writing, misspelling, and incorrect grammar usage. My heartfelt thanks to Ms. Guffey for writing such an excellent guide.
Amazon.com
An April 2007 Significant 7 Editors' Pick: Funny, engaging, and oh-so-practical, Send is the ultimate etiquette handbook for email, making David Shipley and Will Schwalbe the "Miss Manners" resource for the digital age. Full of practical insights, Send is an invaluable resource for anyone who uses email, and is guaranteed to help you "think before you click." We are not the only fans of this important book. We asked psychologist, science journalist, and bestselling author Daniel Goleman to read Send and give us his take. Check out his exclusive guest review below. --Daphne Durham
Guest Reviewer: Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and on college campuses, and is the author of many bestselling books, including Emotional Intelligence and most recently, Social Intelligence.
Poor Michael Brown. During the darkest days of the Hurricane Katrina debacle, Brown, then director of FEMA, the agency that so badly bungled the rescue efforts, sent this email: "Are you proud of me? Can I quit now? Can I go home?"
Emails can come back to haunt us--any of us. Few among us have mastered this medium, and only slowly are we realizing its dangers.
From the earliest days of email people "flamed", sending off irritating or otherwise annoying messages. One explanation for the failure to inhibit our more unruly impulses online is a mismatch between the screen we stare at as we email, and the cues the social circuits of the brain use to navigate us through an interaction effectively: on email there is no tone of voice, no facial expression. When we talk to someone on the phone or face-to-face these circuits would ordinarily squelch impulses that will seem "off." Lacking these crucial cues, flaming occurs.
It's not just flaming--I've sent my fair share of emails that were, in retrospect, embarrassing, too familiar or formal, or otherwise wrong in tone. Email invites these lapses in social intelligence in part because the social brain flies blind. In the absence of the other person's real-time emotional signals we need to take a moment to shift from focusing on our own feelings and thoughts, and intentionally focus on the other person, even in absentia, and consider, How might this message come across?
The peril of being off-key is amplified by the temptation to hit SEND prematurely: before we've thought it over and had a chance to ease up on that too-stiff tone, drop that bit of sarcasm, and remember to ask about the kids.
In the old days of letter writing--a dying art--we had plenty of time to rewrite before sealing the envelope, and so flaming letters were far more rare than red-hot emails. And so the brave new world of email could benefit from a civilizing force, a voice that articulates the ground rules online.
Enter Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home, a new book by David Shipley (an old friend of mine) and Will Schwalbe. Send not only articulates the way to win--or keep--friends online, but offers practical tips on both email etiquette and on the writing style most suitable.
In this witty and wise book Shipley and Schwalbe give essential guidance on vital matters like the politics of using Cc (nobody likes to be left out); when to just reply and when to "Reply All"; the danger of the URGENT subject (too many and you cry wolf); fine-tuning your greetings to fit the relationship (if you use the wrong one, you can lose them at hello); how best to apologize online (put the word 'sorry' in the subject or else the email may never be read).
But Send is far more than Miss Manners for the Web; it's brimming with fascinating insights. For example, now that email has become the way we talk, showing up in person has added impact as the ultimate compliment, signifying that the person, meeting or project has special importance for you.
Years ago a slim volume by Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, laid out the ground rules for good writing; the book became a bible for authors, widely known just as "Strunk and White." Send should make Shipley and Schwalbe the "Strunk and White" for the Web. --Daniel Goleman (www.danielgoleman.info)
Book Description
When should you email, and when should you call, fax, or just show up?
What is the crucial—and most often overlooked—line in an email?
What is the best strategy when you send (in anger or error) a potentially career-ending electronic bombshell?
Enter Send. Whether you email just a little or never stop, use a desktop or a handheld, here, at last, is an authoritative and delightful book that shows how to write the perfect email—at work, at school, or anywhere. Send also points out the numerous (but not always obvious) times when email can be the worst option and might land you in hot water (or even jail!).
The secret is, of course, to think before you click. Send is nothing short of a survival guide for the digital age—wise, brimming with good humor, and filled with helpful lessons from the authors’ own email experiences (and mistakes). In short: absolutely e-ssential.
Customer Reviews:
More like "Eats , Shoots & Leaves" than Strunk & White.......2007-10-16
If you enjoyed the arched-brow humor of Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, then you'll enjoy "Send." It's an elegant, fun guide to something that seems so simple, but is actually pretty complicated: using email effectively.
Help for today's communicator.......2007-09-30
Hello reader
I have found the help I need at last.
In my workplace people write an email rather than picking up the phone or turning around and talking to the person at the next desk.
Is this the same for you?
And do you find it leads to confusion and endless chains of communication on simple matters?
Here is your solution.
Read it and keep it for reference.
No need to reply.
Regards
David
Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Home and Office.......2007-09-29
Easy to understand even if you are not too computer literate. Would have been helpful to be able to read a paragraph or two before purchase.
Learned what I didn't know I didn't know.......2007-09-26
This is an easy read with lots of great info packed into a small volume. The authors' credentials are hard to beat, and the info is laid out in categories making it easy to go back and reread. I learned many things I didn't know about email etiquette (not just no caps!) and the reasoning behind it. They talk about overuse of attachments (I'm guilty!) and other problems I never thought of as a problem. Enjoy!
EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE should read this book.......2007-09-25
Some of the reviews below are correct, this book is simplistic. But unfortunately, most people have lost all sense of etiquette when it comes to email as the book suggests.
Email has become a disgraced form of communication that few people know how navigate properly, and those that do, could certainly stand to become better.
I am buying this for all of my coworkers, family, and friends for Christmas...if only for selfish reasons that it will make my work and home life more productive.
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Ever since his first book was published some six decades ago, Peter Drucker has been essential to everyone serious about the "management of an enterprise (and) the self-management of the individual, whether executive or professional, within an enterprise and altogether in our society of managed organizations." This distinguished 30-year Claremont University professor has continuously identified critical principles in management, economics, politics, and the world in general. And he has redirected our thinking about them through more than two dozen books, including an autobiography and a couple of works of fiction. Now, with The Essential Drucker, he has overseen the compilation of his most important fundamentals into one indispensable book.
Reaching back as far as 1954 with his treatise "Management by Objectives and Self-Control" ("Each manager, from the 'big boss' down to the production foreman or the chief clerk, needs clearly spelled-out objectives" that clarify expected contributions "to the attainment of company goals in all areas of the business"), Drucker's now-established ideas take on a surprising new relevancy when remixed equally pioneering ideas from the 1960s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. Between the thoughtful "Management as Social and Liberal Art" through the provocative "From Analysis to Perception--The New Worldview" (both originally published in 1988's The New Realities), this book revisits some of modern management's most inspired writing and presents it in a way that should appeal to both newcomers and those needing a refresher course on Drucker's basic beliefs. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Father of modern management, social commentator, and preeminent business philosopher, Peter F. Drucker has been analyzing economics and society for more than sixty years. Now for readers everywhere who are concerned with the ways that management practices and principles affect the performance of the organization, the individual, and society, there is The Essential Drucker -- an invaluable compilation of management essentials from the works of a management legend.
Containing twenty-six selections, The Essential Drucker covers the basic principles and concerns of management and its problems, challenges, and opportunities, giving managers, executives, and professionals the tools to perform the tasks that the economy and society of tomorrow will demand of them.
Download Description
"In one volume a selection of the essential writings from Peter F. Drucker's sixty years of work on management. The first selection of Drucker's management work from The Prctice of Management (1954) to Management Challenges for the 21st Century (1999), this book offers, in Drucker's words, ""a coherent and fairly comprehensive Introduction to [and] gives an overview of my works on management and thus answers a question I have been asked again and again: . . . which of my writings are essential?"" The Essential Drucker contains twenty-six selections on management in the organization, management and the individual, and management and society. It covers the basic principles and concerns of management and its problems, challenges, and opportunities, giving managers, executives, and professionals the tools to perform the tasks that the economy and society of ,==otherwise ungrammatical== tomorrow will demand of them. "
Customer Reviews:
It's 1 of the best.......2007-07-01
Its a very good collection of Peter Drucker's writings. It's a must read and re-read.
Managment for people who can think outside the box.......2007-06-09
Peter Drucker has a long, well-earned reputation for writing about management skills and practices. He writes plainly, cogently and with direct examples of his observations. It's too bad more people do not read (or if they do, do not practice) his principles: marketing is listening, not selling, and if you have listened (and responded) accordingly, the product/service will be obvious and well-received, regardless of the presumed capacity of the target to benefit from it. It's almost like management for dummies, but you DO have to listen first.
Outstanding.......2007-05-14
Excellent review. No matter if you alreday know his work. Is always good to remember and appreciatte his sharp and lasting concepts over the years.
Like trying to do Quantum Physics while reading Newton.......2007-04-25
I only made it 115 pages into the book before I had to put it down. In fairness, I'm a formally trained MBA (masters in business administration) so this experience should not be considered representative, but it does mean that I can offer a substantive and critical review of the compilation. I have two major points: one on accuracy and one on style
To his credit, Drucker could easily be considered the most influential source on management of the 20th century. Many of the basic ideas he offers are valuable and if a reader does not have any formal background in management, his book is accessible and full of extremely illustrative examples. The structure flows naturally and could be an excellent learning tool or primer.
The problem with Drucker is he was an influential source of the **20th** century and the compilation occurred without any substantial updating. One example in particular is on page 107 where Drucker offers, "Companies typically measure their proposed capital appropriations by... four yardsticks: return on investment, payback period, cash flow, and discounted present value. But we have known... since the early 1930s... that none of those is the right method... a company needs to look at all four." While this may have been a cutting edge approach in 1930 (and while it is still a common sentiment among managers whose education dates to the 50s and 60s), modern management theory recognizes that NPV *actually is* the one and only right method. This is one of a number of instances where actual errors are present. Indeed, there are additional instances where his perspective seems to conflict with a modern management education, but where there is no clear cut right answer.
The second point I would like to make is that there are really two basic ways to teach a concept. One is to offer plentiful examples so that a reader can draw conclusions and/or hopefully find one or more situations with similarities to each problem they face (inductive). The other is to offer a structured and unified theory that is less precise in its examples, but can be easily applied to situations that are dissimilar to those presented (deductive). Drucker writes in the inductive style, with plentiful examples. As a result, he doesn't offer a condensed nugget of theory that one can take away to apply to seemingly novel situations. If a reader isn't an expert on management, this isn't a problem and, in fact, the structure improves the learning process. If a reader has some structure and background, it reduces the value of the read.
All together, the book offers a number of great concepts and makes an illustrative primer to management (encouraged read for the untrained, 5 stars). That being said, the book and much of its content is out of date (all readers beware, 2 stars) and the style lacks the "ah hah" moments that might be found in a denser and more theory focused text (advanced readers strongly warned, 2 stars).
Not quite timeless.......2006-09-17
Good book, contains a lot of useful advice, which is "timeless".
However, the world has changed a lot since, and there are many better management books to read/study.
This book deals a lot with processes, many of which have become obsolete today.
Book Description
It's amazing the myths one can find in some resume books. Scott Bennett has hired hundreds of people in a variety of industries, and he knows firsthand what kinds of resumes spark the interest of employers. In The Elements of Resume Style, Bennett explains why some of the most popular "tricks" backfire more often than they work, and offers clear, smart strategies for creating resumes and cover letters that get people jobs. From entry-level to executive, users of this invaluable guide will: * See their resume from the employer's perspective * Avoid the errors most candidates make * Handle job-hopping, employment gaps, and other touchy subjects honestly and effectively * Write cover letters that stand out -- and learn the untapped power of the inquiry letter 1,400+ Sample Action Words, Action Statements, and Position Descriptions/Blurbs 200+ Vague Claims to Avoid and 500+ More Words and Phrases to Avoid Sample Resume Format, Sample Response Letter, Sample Inquiry Letter Sample Informational Interview Request Letter Sample Response to Request for Salary Requirements Sample Salary History, Sample References The battle for jobs is tighter than ever. The Elements of Resume Style can help you make sure your first salvo is as powerful and on-target as possible.
Customer Reviews:
Simple as a resume should be .......2007-09-16
This is the one to get. Trust me, I write resumes for a living.
Great Insights but not Quite Enough by Itself.......2007-07-30
I enjoyed the author's common sense approach to the resume miracles often promised by other books and resume services. Functional resumes do hide a lack of experience but employers already know that. Tricks with format and fonts might look neat but most resume reviewers are going to look past the presentation at some point. This book focuses on the basics, words that work, emphasizing accomplishments over position, keeping things simple, clear, concise and easy to read. But once you get past the large list of action words, there really isn't much more to this book. Personally, I like the formatting ideas in books like Resume Magic and the emphasis on using keywords which are often how resumes are filtered in the Internet age. While the author of The Elements of Resume Style seems to belittle these stupid resume tricks, they do seem to work.
Still,in spite of this quibble I'm giving this book a good recommendation because I found the information on grammer, fonts, style and basic format very helpful, as well as the grain of skeptism that comes with it. But comparing the sample resumes presented in this books and the ones found in other like Resume Magic, and putting oneself in the place of an employer, I think the visual formatting and style does make a difference. This book is a good start or even a complement but not the last word on resumes.
"Elements of Resume Style: Essential Rules and...".......2007-03-12
This is an easy read. The descriptions are concise. The author explains the reason for his suggestions. There are numerous examples for form and format. The one thing I found missing was how to set up a resume for those who have worked for one company for over 30 years but have had several jobs and titles within that time frame.
This Book is Essential to Getting Hired!!!!!!!.......2006-04-25
Mr. Bennett leaves no stone unturned here...he takes readers through each step of writing a resume so diligently that I feel as if he has practically re-written my resume himself! Throughout the book he reinforces the importance of being honest about work histories and teaches readers how to position job hopping and gaps in employment. (Now I can feel confident in selling myself despite the many detours I've taken in my career!) He puts readers in the point of view of the employer and goes into great detail about how to use language and visual layout of the resume to make the most impact. He supplies tons of descriptive words and shows how to turn terms like, "strong interpersonal skills" and "great team-player" into actionable statements with evidence that actually mean something to employers. (This was very enlightening to me!) He also explains best practices with cover letters, inquiry letters and replying to salary history requests...you NAME it and this book's got it. Mr. Bennett clearly has a lot to teach on the subject and I feeled armed with a powerful weapon in being able to re-position myself on paper and get myself hired. This book is a must buy!
This one is a Keeper!.......2006-03-14
I have recommended this book to people of all ages and disciplines. It has more pertinent information then any other resume book I've ever seen. It actually was entertaining to read, and provided realistic, hopeful solutions to people in recovery who struggle with how to handle gaps in employment.
I hope that it is used in schools because it is a great tool!
Book Description
Entrepreneur's Notebook propels you on a whirlwind tour of the start-up process. It is an invaluable reference for new and experienced entrepreneurs that includes chapters on a wide range of topics, from entrepreneurial team building to business plans to financing. This excellent book provides an incredible amount of practical information that will help you make smarter decisions and avoid costly mistakes. The author, Steven K. Gold, is an accomplished entrepreneur who has co-founded and led five early-stage ventures. As an investor and mentor, he also advises many entrepreneurs and young companies. He earned his B.S.E. in Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.D. from Brown University Medical School.
Customer Reviews:
Nice Guide for Beginners.......2007-06-16
The author writes a nice overview of the entrepreneurial process. It's basically for novices but it does a good job for this audience. The only problem I have with this book is that it is too basic and is therefore non-unique because it is so low-level. Regardless, I must say that for the right audience, it does a fine job over giving the big picture.
If you are advanced or aspire to become advanced, I would recommend "The Startup Company Bible for Entrepreneurs" but only for high-tech entrepreneurs. Even this author has recommended it.
A Must-Have for Entrepreneurs.......2007-05-14
Steven gives great illustrations to drive home his insightful advice for entrepreneurs. As he's "been there, done that," we can take his advice to heart in the hopes of becoming a success like him!
Exellent Book.......2007-05-11
Great book for getting ready to open a new business. Would refer to anyone thinking about opening a business.
Brief and to the point.......2007-04-27
This is a delightful little book that contains a wealth of useful and helpful information and ideas on starting a small business and ensuring that it is viable and succesful. The book is well written and easy to follow and interesting to read.
This is a must read for entrepreneurs, particularly budding ones as the information the book provides is very practical and can help you avoid making costly errors. The book covers a wide range of topics including the start-up process, marketing the business on a small budget, cash-flow forecasting, among other things.
The book is an excellent companion for the entrepreneur that is well worth having.
Invaluable advice for the budding entrepreneur.......2007-03-04
This book does a terrific job of presenting some of the most important issues entrepreneurs face when embarking on new ventures, touching on topics such as the business plan, funding, team building, and cash flows. Using simple, yet stunningly accurate models of the entrepreneurial process, Steven Gold distills complex subjects into simple, practical, take-away messages. The classification of entrepreneurial personalities (professionals, pragmatists, and inventors) is something I think we can all relate to. I find the metaphor which compares building a new company to making "stone soup" equally compelling. There are countless books out there for budding entrepreneurs, but this one is no fluff. It gets right down to the nuts and bolts so you can concentrate on your business.
Book Description
Integrating all elements of effective business communication, this all-in-one package blends information with technology, presented in an engaging multimedia environment. Numerous real-world examples and document critiques provide the means for learning grammar and business communication mechanics more effectively than any other book on the market today.
After an informative introduction that describes the foundations of business communications, this book covers such topics as: the three-step writing process (planning, writing, and completing business messages); brief business correspondence (letters, memos, e-mails, and instant messages); business reports and proposals; and employment messages. Comprehensive appendices for format and layout of documents and a handbook of grammar, mechanics, and usage round out this book.
A must-have reference book for anyone in a professional business office, this resource is also an excellent primer for those just entering the job market.
Customer Reviews:
My English book.......2007-02-17
This is a very helpful book on improving my english skills and how to write letters as well writing resume.
Business Communication Essentials and CD Package (2nd Edition).......2005-09-12
Best English/Writing Text I have used to date.
Book Description
Designed to cover basic grammar and mechanics, this fast-paced, economical workbook develops proficiency in grammar, punctuation, usage, and style. With the assistance of Dean Elizabeth Tice at the University of Phoenix, co-authors Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn M. Seefer have produced an accelerated refresher course guide aimed at motivated learners. Essentials of College English is a no-frills grammar/mechanical review that combines value with authoritative coverage.
Customer Reviews:
The Co-Author ignores this book in her class.......2007-08-21
I've taken Carolyn Seefer's online English course at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill California and although it's the text that Seefer co-authored and it is the required course textbook, it's not used in the course. In my opinion that's because it's so poorly organized.
Not the best organized.......2002-08-01
This is the grammar workbook chosen by the university for which I teach. The workbook combines exercises and explanations together.
The best advantage to this is the sections which allow the student to check his or her understanding. At the beginning of each section, about ten questions have the answers at the bottom of the page. Also, the unit review has answers printed for the student's reference.
One of the disadvantages is the organization. For instance, section 8 lists avoiding and correcting for double negatives as an objective. Unfortunately, double negatives are not covered there. In checking the index, double negatives are mentioned on page 128 in section 13. There, the reference is only a hotline query that states what a double negative is.
Another disadvantage is there are less exercises than in previous editions. The previous editions had "Proofreading Alerts," which I thought were very helpful in providing a more practical way to test comprehension.
This is a usable workbook, but it would not be my first choice.
College English.......2001-01-24
I first encountered this book as part of an online class requirement (Diablo Valley College, Business English-101). I find the book easy to read and use. It's layout is eye-catching and user-friendly. In fact, I recommend this book a buy for those needing to brush up on any college level English....
Book Description
This text equips students with the essential skills for developing and writing public relations materials, covering all areas of public relations writing--including news releases, backgrounders, newsletter and magazine articles, brochures, print advertising copy, and broadcast scripts. Recent technological changes are also covered to give students an understanding of how technology impacts the public relations industry. In the constantly changing world of public relations, the text continues to stress the need for public relations professionals to communicate more effectively to all audiences.
Customer Reviews:
OK as a very broad overview for beginners .......2007-08-21
The title of this book doesn't reflect its very broad coverage. Indeed, the book discusses a wide range of PR topics, as well as marketing communications and advertising. For this reason, the book is suitable for an undergraduate-level introductory course on corporate communications. However, while the information presented is clear and relevant, it lacks depth. Students who want to pursue PR and marketing writing as a career will want to supplement this book with other resources.
Writing the Wrongs.......2000-01-19
Effective writing skills must be mastered by anyone hoping to work in the field of public relations. If PR people do nothing else, they write, revise, write, revise, and write, more and more and more, until finally they write the wrongs (figuratively speaking, of course). In answer to this call, Thomas H. Bivins has created a dynamically comprehensive guide to many forms and styles of PR writing, from news release writing to desktop publishing. He also suggests ways of enhancing creativity, another important skill, in such areas as feature writing, poster, flyer, and brochure design, and newsletter design. Bivins further provides complementary examples and demonstrations that every current and potential PR writer will find useful. I'll never forget one statement the professor of my Public Relations Writing course (Spring 1999) made on the very first day of class: "I highly suggest none of you sell this book back to the bookstore at the end of the quarter. I wish I had a guide like this when I was working in public relations!" When she made that statement, I was immediately anxious to know what literatural pleasure awaited me!
Book Description
Veteran songwriter Pat Pattison has taught many of Berklee College of Music's best and brightest students how to write truly great lyrics. Her helpful guide contains essential information on lyric structures, timing and placement, and exercises to help everyone from beginners to seasoned songwriters say things more effectively and gain a better understanding of their craft. Features examples of famous songs for study, including: Be Still My Beating Heart * Can't Fight This Feeling * It Was a Very Good Year * Tickle Me * and more.
Customer Reviews:
have to agree with the below review.......2006-03-14
I thought the below review from 'an amazonian' was a bit negative and bought it anyway. After reading it however I have to agree with everything they stated.
My advice is only get this book if you really, really struggle with lyric form and structure because otherwise you might find that you've wasted your money. I did.
Excellent tool.......2006-01-29
This book to great for the songwriter who needs that extra push from ok songs to great songs. Whether you are starting from scratch or revising songs already written, this book will help you see your songs with an objective eye. Not only will you write better but you'll listen better. You'll learn to listen to hit songs and figure out why they are hits. Great tool for any songwriter.
Outstanding.......2005-03-04
This book is a well written book with fresh ideas that can be very helpful to a songwriter. I would highly recommend this book to any aspiring songwriter.
Book Review ý James Linderman.......2002-12-18
Simply put, to know Pat's work is to revere it. He is the absolute master of the craft of lyric structure and it's consequential impact on the quality of a song. Period!
Pat Pattison has been teaching lyric song writing and poetry at Berklee College of Music since 1975, and has played an integral part in developing Berklee's songwriting program, which was the first complete songwriting degree program to be offered anywhere, and is arguably the best in the world. Among the many other vast contributions Pat makes to the music industry, he also spends a lot of time writing in Nashville, works for TV and film, and does a ton of workshops and clinics all over the world.
In the forward of "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure" Pat indicates that "This is not a general book on lyric writing...it's specific purpose is to help you handle your lyric structure more effectively."
This is great because, instead of trying to deal with all aspects of lyric writing in a diluted overview, Pat instead, offers a very concentrated and detailed discourse on the aspect of song craft that seems to be most absent in most songwriters background...the deliberate use of structure.
Throughout the book Pat uses an analogy, comparing lyric writing to juggling. When you juggle, you start with one ball and work on attaining that skill before adding a second, third or fourth ball, or before attempting to juggle with flaming batons or chainsaws.
The first "ball" we want to try and juggle in our lyric development is the identification, study and manipulation of a lyric phrase. Pat is very skilled in providing perfect examples to show; how to match lyric phrases with the musical ones they sit on, how to write sections of a song with balanced or unbalanced sets of phrases, and how to contrast balanced and unbalanced sections to create a feeling in your listener that the song is moving forward to another section, or is resolving; coming to rest to end that collection of ideas.
This is very cool to know, especially if you are like me and really struggle with lyrics and usually find that, after a lot of frustration, that a structural oversight or flaw is often the problem.
Enough about me...back to the book.
The remaining chapters in the book break your lyric into syllables, rhyme schemes, song parts like; verses, choruses and those dreaded bridges. It then takes a concentrated look at song form and where to place the hook...you know, the part that makes your listener remember that you have a song.
The thing that Pat Pattison's books do better than any other books out there, is that they make people write purposefully objective rather than aimlessly subjective. He does it in a way that channels creativity rather than controlling it and he does it with a sense of style and humour that is very engaging.
I can now see why the publisher decided to name this book, Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure because essential is just how I would describe it.
Deeply disappointing.......2002-01-20
Pat Pattison's book on lyric structure can be recommended only to musicians who are ill at ease with words, and even they will find that the book is padded to three or four times the length it should be.
Pattison's lyrics and the lyrics he quotes (by Sting and Steely Dan for example, as well as "Can't Fight This Feeling"!) are both of poor quality. They use cliched images and tired idioms, and they abuse the apostrophe in a parody of the language of regular Joes ("Leave 'em hangin' . . .").
But worse than this, the book is padded with needless "exercises" repeated over and over to illustrate obvious points. (For example, Pattison reveals to us that if a song lyric's lines go from longer to shorter, the pace will speed up, and if they go from shorter to longer, the pace will slow down. Now, we're asked, does this example speed up or slow down? How about this one? How about this one?)No one, even the most non-verbal student at Berklee, where Pattison teaches, needs this.
Pattison's points about structure would make a worthwhile ten- or twenty-page handout, or an acceptable chapter in a book on lyric writing. To inflate them into an entire book, however, is a reprehensible con.
Book Description
This book has a very specific purpose: to help songwriters find better rhymes and use them more effectively. Rhyme is one of the most crucial areas of lyrics writing, and this guide will provide all of the technical information necessary to develop your skills completely. The exercises and worksheets help experienced writers take a fresh look at their techniques, and prevent novices from developing bad habits. Use this book to start writing better than ever before!
Customer Reviews:
Practice sesions clear and concise, The book is nice1.......2007-05-22
A simple technique to understanding the work words do in poerty and song writing. The practice is gentle and not difficult to perform.
Of all the praise I could heap upon Pat Pattison, the one bonus dimension is that of nuances, which are able to enhance poetry through the use of subtile qualities that words may possess, such as, shades or implications or reflections as to a more appropiate choice of words for a greater Songwriting experience: Essential Guide to Rhyming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming and Lyrics (Songwriting Guides)]].
I have sent this book to collegues and students to share the potential for skill enhancement.
Not this book alone.......2006-01-19
I think this book is the greatest, but practically on the
first page, the author proves to his readers that they must
use a rhyming dictionary to create. Going it alone is pure
"silly". He says "finding rhymes is almost never a creative act. It is a purely mechanical search."
Well, I have a small rhyming dictionary by Webster, but this is
not a good one at all. I need specifically The Complete Rhyming Dictionary, edited by Clement Wood (Doubleday) because "it divides rhymes into Masculine, Feminine, and three-syllable rhymes."
Once I get that, then I can really work with Pattison book and
learn.
So if you are buying this book also buy the Wood Rhymer right away and save postage.
Excellent Inspiration Tool!.......2003-04-19
This book explains rhyme and its importance to writing and inspiration. The author lays out the approach to writing much differently than I have been approaching it for years. This has opened up a whole new level for me in lyric writing - inspiration is much less of an issue because of this book. I highly reccomend this book for beginners, but it can improve even the best lyrical writings. This book is filled with exercises to improve your writing, and if you take the time to do them, you will be a better writer.
You will need a rhyming dictionary to use this book, as it is primarily an instruction on getting the most from your rhyming dictionary. This book explains how you can put a complete idea together using only a rhyming dictionary.
Songwriting: Essential Guide to Rhyming.......2002-11-30
I happened to mention to a couple of friends of mine that I was reviewing a book on rhyming this month and one of them said, " What a dumb thing to write a book about, dude, I mean, a word either rhymes with another word or it doesn't...so you don't need a whole book for that, duh!?!"
My other friend was shaking his head in affirmation of this noble theory.
This confirms that I really need to do whatever it takes to find some smarter friends.
Songwriters need to be expert rhymesters and despite what the rest of the world might think about it being the most natural thing in the world, it's an ability that's got to be developed to the extreme for us to be able to write great songs to the extreme.
Enter: the book!
Songwriting: Essential guide to Rhyming by Pat Pattison.
Pat begins this book by describing the number one "rhyme crime" in the business, transitive verbs. It's the rhyme that you find when a good rhyme doesn't show up so you flip the sentence upside down and jam it into your song like, "My love for you is not a fake, your heart I will now pledge to take".
By the time the listener gets to the verb "take", they have to try to remember that the "heart" was the object. It forces the listener to think backwards as they listen forward and this confusion will not attract your listener to your work.
Yoda, from Star Wars speaks almost exclusively, using transitive verbs like, "Much to learn, you still have". This may work for Yoda but it has no place in a song, so unless Yoda suddenly gets a major label deal...
Back to the book.
Pat offers some great solutions for transitive verbs and also solves the other problem that goes along with them which is how to express universal themes without cliché rhymes. This will be amazing stuff to check out.
Pat also deals with a problem that I have whereby, I don't really like to write with a dictionary and a thesaurus and a stack of grammar books on my piano but he writes convincingly that a good rhyming dictionary is good to keep at arms reach since rhyming is a purely mechanical thing and may help find you the word you need fast enough to keep your muse on track. This now makes a lot of sense to me.
Through the remaining chapters, Pat shows you all the types of rhyming available to you and if your anything like me and don't know all that much about; masculine and feminine rhymes, identity, mosaic rhymes, perfect and imperfect rhymes, additive and subtractive rhymes, assonance and alliteration then you need to get your hands on this book.
The real point of the book, really, is to lay out the rhyme types and let them expand you opportunities to BOTH say what you mean AND rhyme. The book presents the rhyme types in descending order, from the closest to perfect rhyme to the most remote rhyme types. And better, the book shows you how and when to use the different rhyme types.
This is the last of the three books by Pat Pattison that I have had the pleasure of reviewing in these last three issues of The Muse's News. They were, "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure", "Writing Better Lyrics", and "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Rhyming".
I have almost run out of superlatives to express the value of the material in Pat Pattisons books but I would have to say that his books actually define lyric writing for me and have impacted my work like no other outside influence. If this is what you want to bring to the table for your next songwriting project, hit a good bookstore...
Very Good - Needs Rhyming Dictionary.......2002-08-16
This book does an excellent job of explaining the types of rhymes available to songwriters. How to choose the appropriate rhyme, and where to find it in a rhyming dictionary. I have had no previous experience in lyric writing or poetry and it was very easy reading, yet there is enough depth to last a very long time. You will need a rhyming dictionary for the exercises in this book, Pattison recommends 'The Complete Rhyming Dictionary' by Clement Wood. Overall this book is excellent for beginners, with enough content to assist more advanced lyricists.
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