Book Description
Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace reflects the wisdom and clear authorial voice of Williams best-selling book, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, while streamlining every chapter to create a very brief, yet powerfully direct guide to writing with style. The brevity and clarity of this book make it a quick and ideal read for freshman composition courses, as well as for writing courses across the disciplines. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace covers the elemental principles of writing that will help students diagnose their prose quickly and revise it effectively. The ten lessons feature principles of effective prose written in William's hallmark conversational style, offering reason-based approaches, rather than hard and fast rules, for successful, effective writing.
Customer Reviews:
very clear.......2006-08-14
I am a non native speaker, and even though my grammar is not too bad, my writing style has always been a source of frustration. At work, when comparing the texts I would write with the one of good native writers, I could see that theirs were better, but could not find why.
I bought this book based on the high reviews it got on amazon, and I was not disappointed. After reading a few pages, I scanned the research proposal I was writing at the time, and could already make significant improvements on it. The advices that the author give are sometimes quite simple, especially at the beginning of the book (for example : the main character should be the subjects of the verbs, which themselves should correspond to the main action). But surprisingly, I realized that I was rarely applying these simple rules of clarity. The author is never dogmatic, and insists that the only thing that matters is that the reader easily understands what we're writing. All throughout the book, numerous examples illustrate the concepts just introduced so that it is quite easy to test whether one has really got the point.
a gem.......2006-07-21
I found an used copy of " The Basics of Clarity and Grace" at bookstore. After reading 3/4 of the book I ordered two more copies. One copy for my son who is a journalist major and the other for my eldest son who writes good comedy. I liked its size and its no nonesense approach.
Better than Strunk & White, better than Turabian.......2005-12-19
The longer version of Joseph Williams "Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace" has been justly praised for many years. But as a director of writing programs at NYU, Princeton, and Yale, I never felt right adopting that text: it was too expensive, and more than the average student needed. This "Basics" Style is the perfect solution. All the brilliance of the longer book at 1/3 the price, "Style" perfectly balances explanations of style rules with practical examples. The rules that Strunk and White encourage are good ones, and American prose would be leaner if their precepts were universal. The problem with that book is that the advice is not explained systematically. You can use their suggestions when you face similar cases, but only Williams' text breaks down topics like elegance, coherence, and cohesion in ways that will let you carry the ideas into every text you write. I would not recommend this book for the casual 10th grader; although it's clearly written, its ideas are somewhat advanced. But for professionals, college writers, and any teenager who takes writing seriously, "Style" is an indispensable tool, a book you'll use for the rest of your life. For learning to write good college papers, I also highly recommend his "Craft of Research."
How Style Ought to Be Taught.......2005-07-13
Teaching style is not an easy task. Just look at the number of books on the market that portend to do this task, and it becomes obvious that not all authors succeed in their efforts. Some manuals attempt to teach by rules, others by persuasion, and still others by example. This book takes all three approaches and illustrates that the art of stylistic writing is a matter of know-how. Unlike most books in the field, I find this one generally successful.
The book's method is heuristic. It begins with causes of bad writing, and progresses to clarity, cohesion, emphasis, coherence, concision, length, and elegance. Each principle is given a bad examples compared to a good one. Direct, subject-verb-object writing is extolled, and certain anathemas of other texts are approved under the right circumstances. While I disagree with one its principles: That it is acceptable to begin a sentence with "There" and "It," these are minor quibbles in an otherwise strongly argued case.
Strunk & White's "Elements of Style" now has a major competitor, and this book is it. Whether one writes in fiction or non-fiction, the principles and examples given throughout this book are to be commended. I know of one author, a philosopher, who took these principles to heart. What once was ambiguous and contorted writing is now lucid, clear, and vivid. If this book can make this kind of progress, I certainly recommend it to all writers.
While on the subject of good writing, I also recommend Corbett's "Classical Rhetoric" for those authors who want to write convincing arguments. One on style, the other on substance. While William's book on style will make prose more readable, Corbett's book will make it more intelligible.
Truly great, smaller but updated version of his bigger book.......2004-01-24
This smallish book summarizes and updates "Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace (7th Edition)." I rank both books at least a "5 out of 5" ranking. I bought the "Style: Ten Lessons" book first and after reading his previous book, I wanted more from this author. This new book is a fitting treat; it is destined to be a classic in the field of writing.
This smaller 150 page book presents many easy-to-apply principles and, for me, were easier to understand.
The principles that I liked most were:
+ How nominalizations can be very good or very bad, depending on their purpose, or lack of it.
+ How to re-arrange sentences putting the new and most important ideas on the end; thus sometimes flipping the sentence around and making good use of the passive tense.
+ The importance of aligning the characters of your story with the subjects of your sentences, and using active verbs to make "interesting subjects do interesting things."
+ Why and how to keep the distance between subject, verb and object short.
There are many, many other writing principles that you will find very useful. Although this book is written for someone with writing experience, a beginner will also find it MOST helpful.
I recommend any budding writer to buy both books. The bigger, older book has more discussion. But I found this smaller, newer book easier to read and understand. I'm now reading his Craft of Research book, and it looks like a winner too.
This is an author whose books you should collect. He has become a highly recommended expert in the field of writing. Look at the reviews of the bigger book to see what others are saying. I am so happy that I found his books.
John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX
Book Description
For busy fundraisers, writing letters of appeal can be confusing and laborious. Now, a guide from the nation's premier letter-writing tutor--direct mail expert Mal Warwick--shows fundraisers what makes the best letters work. Whether its general advice about the most effective mail strategies, or specific advice for those interested in the details of a direct mail campaign, Warwick keeps fundraisers on track when he reminds: "You're writing for results--not a Pulitzer Prize."
In How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters, Warwick's step-by-step model for writing a successful appeal walks you through the critical stages; his topics range from laying the groundwork for a prosperous campaign all the way through to the importance of thanking donors. Supported by an extensive collection of model letters, Warwick's no-nonsense, jargon-free work has helped thousands of fundraisers achieve results.
Read a review written by Charity Channel Founder/CEO Stephen C. Nill:
http://charitychannel.com/publish/templates/?a=471&z=25
Customer Reviews:
You must buy this book.......2007-05-10
If you ever think you will have to write a fundraising letter, you NEED this book. Too many people think it is just like writing any other kind of letter but it isn't. There is a rhyme and, more importantly, a reason to it. Don't write a fundraising letter without reading this book first.
How To Write a Successful Fund Raising Letter.......2007-05-07
Excellent for a review of those with experience and super for those new at the experience. We have used it for both occasions
Disappointed.......2007-01-17
I am not an expert in writing fundraising letters. So, when I found a book with a title "How to write successful Fundraising Letters" it was as if I had won the lottery. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it because I was on a dealine to write a fundraising letter for a non-profit organization for which I had volunteered. I ordered the book, and paid just as much to have it deleivered the next day (local bookstores do not carry it). I found the book to be a tutorial and not something I could quickly benefit from. It is written to teach how to properly write and follow-up a fundraising campaign letter. The samples provided were very specific to 3-4 scenarios and did not offer much context. I guess I was looking for a book with hundreds of samples so that I could pick and choose phrases, paragraphs, etc.
Success at Last.......2007-01-11
I have toyed around with various funderaising letters over the years, reinventing the wheel each time. This book is a tremendous guideline for writing great fundraising letters and has many great examples.
I was able to raise over $100,000.00 in a recent campaign and for the first time I have had a number of people comment on how well the letter appealed to them, and how well it was written. I keep this book close at hand.
Development officer.......2006-11-06
have read part of it not all---so far it is good and helpful
Book Description
A powerful sales letter is the ultimate marketing tool for all types of business owners, sales reps, and advertising professionals. However, most sales letters end up getting tossed in the junk mail pile. The Ultimate Sales Letter, 3rd Edition shows you how to write letters that get read, generate leads, and make money. Coverage includes:
The twelve best headline formulas
Strategies for building a customer base
Sales letters for Web sites and online use
This guide teaches you a step-by-step system for writing sales letters any business can use--designed by the most successful and highly paid professional direct-response copywriter in the country.
Customer Reviews:
Thought it would be more...........2007-09-26
It was ok but would have liked something more easy to adapt to my letters.
The Ultimate Guide to Sales Letters.......2007-09-19
This book is the only start for anyone who is interested in developing sales letters, that sell. There is a reason that Dan Kennedy is the guru of developing sales letters and other forms of copy.
In the book, Kennedy unleashes a lot of information in bits of detail which are easy to follow. The book is so well written that you can not help but excel at writing great sales letters by the end. There are many copies of very successful sales letters throughout the book to illustrate the strategies, tactics and techniques revealed. The content flows smoothly from chapter to chapter making this book an effortless read.
If you are interested in learning to write great sales letters, get this book first!
Eliot Hoppe
Author - Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success
Another powerful, practical book from Dan.......2007-07-28
Have you ever spent hours writing the perfect sales letter, only to send it out and get little or no response? This information-packed book is sure to show you where you went wrong. And it takes you through all the basic steps and concepts that go into writing amazingly effective sales letters. Of course, there's no substitute for practice, but this book will get you off to a solid start.
Known as the "No B.S." guy, Dan Kennedy is a crack copywriter and consultant who regularly helps clients make millions of dollars. From my personal experience (and I have a shelf full of Dan Kennedy's stuff), all his books are worth their weight in gold. But be warned, he has a straight-up, slightly sarcastic style of communication that you either love or hate. Personally, I love it. And I confidently recommend anything and everything Dan Kennedy writes or sells.
Great book with great ideas simplified.......2007-06-23
This book is as good as a thick textbook on copywriting. Mr. Kennedy doesnt waste words and gets to the point in every sentence in this book. Also of great interest are copies of sales letters he wrote for his clients.
What I liked about this book was chapter/step 6: Getting your sales letter read. There are generous examples of attention-getting headlines and fill in the blank headlines. A lot of these caught my attention and I'm very picky about which emails to open because I've looked at thousands of them, but the samples in this book are still good to use.
I like this book because it is like AWAI's copywriting course condensed into one book.
Read this book today and start writing better copy.
A Fantastic Reference Guide.......2007-06-13
I received this book in the mail and read the whole thing in one night! It was a very practical, no-nonsense, reference guide. This one has it's own special place on my desk. Buy it!
Product Description
This invaluable resource is a collection of over 350 sample letters and models, plus excerpts, teasers, and opening lines that will deliver thousands of dollars of contributions for your organization. Use the models "as is" or adapt them easily to your own purposes. Either way, theyll help your requests jump out of the multitude of requests that flood the mail, get them read, and - most importantly - get a response. Youll find letters for every kind of fund-raising effort. In addition, this book provides ingenious "hooks" that will help get your envelope opened; pointers for writing strong opening copy, plus tips on asking for the right gift amount; structuring your fund-raising request; designing your direct mail packing; producing cost-effect mailings, testing, and much more!
Customer Reviews:
Great Reference .......2006-04-27
I found this book to be a great overview with lots of examples. It's been shared around our office over and over again!
Jam Packed with Samples.......2005-05-14
In addition to advice on how to write successful fundraising letters, this book contains hundreds of models, samples, and excerpts of actual letters. One section covers letters soliciting volunteer help. (summary by South TX Library System)
This book has 378 pages, so chances are very good that you will find a sample letter close to what you need. Inexperienced letter writers tend to be too wordy and turn off their potential funders. I really recommend that people pay close attention to the advice in this book.
The most frequently borrowed fund raising book I own.......2001-04-25
Chapter 15, Obtaining Substantial Financial Support with the Foundation and Corporate Request Letter, is the most dog-eared chapter of my copy. Government and non-profit colleagues whose core job and expertise is not in the area of fund raising, love this book.
moderately helpful.......2000-07-14
My pleasure in the book was minimized when I came to the sections on telemarketing, etc. . . not what I expected. The portions of the book that were helpful, were A-1.
Extremely useful shelf-reference for fund-raisers.......1999-11-18
Not only does this book offer real-life examples of letters for every conceivable fund-raising campaign and situation, it explains the structure of successful fund-raising letters. I refer to it frequently. 5 stars I reserve for anything written by Mal Warwick, who is in a class by himself. But 4 stars means I found Mr. Kuniholm's book well worth the money, repeatedly useful, practical, educational and wise.
Customer Reviews:
Good but old.......2006-06-25
The elements of business writing give good point to look at.But the book is old and sometime give weird information.It's not an important book to have but, but still have some info.
Very helpful, easy to read........2006-02-01
This book was easy to read and very helpful in communication skills.
One the best guides for business writers.......2005-03-16
This book, with an obvious nod to Strunk and White (which it surpasses), lists 67 principles of good writing, with about two pages each of details and examples. It's on the short list of recommended resources in my book The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication.
A valuable writing guide.......2004-02-21
Remarkably concise and informative, The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Writing Clear, Concise Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents by Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly is more than just a tool for business people. Taking a common sensical approach, as opposed to a lofty educated tone, Messrs. Blake and Bly do not restrict themselves to business writing, in spite of the title. For the most part, The Elements of Business Writing is a valuable writing guide for just about all forms of writing. The book is strong on: knowing your audience; clarity; precision; and persuasion. When you think about those four elements, you're thinking about effective communication in general. This is something everyone--not just business people--can use in their daily lives.
Very useful.......2001-04-26
If you write letters, emails, business proposals or marketing plans, this book will be useful to you. It is very easy to follow. The book offers a number of suggestions for writing clearly and with style, and explains each point in detail. I used this book for a graduate level class, but it would be useful to anyone!
Book Description
The School Administrator's Complete Letter Book with CD-ROM, Second Edition, offers a comprehensive selection of model letters and memos for a wide variety of educational purposes and situations. This book and its accompanying CD contain a gold mine of tested, usable letters and other communiques, some of which can be used practically word-for-word from the book, while others can be adapted to your specific needs.
The book's letters and memos represent the contributions of more than 60 outstanding school administrators throughout the United States - including superintendents, principals, supervisors, guidance counselors, and others - all of them with well-earned reputations for solid, professional communication.
Many types of letters are included - letters addressed to parents, teachers, students, teacher applicants, other school administrators, businesspeople, and the community at large. In addition, this handy resource is clearly organized, designed for easy use, and filled with the best letters of the best communicators in modern American education. The CD-ROM makes the letters easy to modify to fit your own situations.
Customer Reviews:
Schools Administrator's Letter Book.......2007-06-16
This book is my second bible!!! It is so convenient and I strongly recommend it to any upcoming administrators.
Wonder Resource.......2007-05-29
This is a wonderful resource for any school administrator. It has been extremely helpful and easy to use. Well worth the price!!!
School Leader.......2007-02-21
This book is an amazing resource. The CD gives you great control over the content and its usability. If you have ever had a hard time just starting a memo or letter, this is a resource you can definitely use. If you dread writing letters or just need an idea for a communication tool/method/content, this is a must-have for any educator.
Great book of letters.......2006-03-09
No matter what type of letter youmay need, it is right there in this book. It was a life saver.
Book Description
From persuasive memos to complaint letters, sales letters to executive summaries -- this exceedingly useful guide helps the business worker write clearly and in an appropriate format, style and tone. Numerous examples show how to overcome writer's block, organize messages for maximum impact, achieve an easy-to-read style, find an efficient writing system and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Go to book.......2006-11-03
I bought several similar reference books at the time of this purchase. Effective Business Writing is my go-to book, my first choice, and usually all I need.
Great reference book - - timely, too!.......1999-04-22
This is a well-written, carefully organized book that belongs on desks across America! Topics covered include organizing before writing, overcoming writer's block, suiting letters to complex situations, and using grammar and punctuation properly. If I had to provide one criticism, it would only be that the book is too short! As a reader, I didn't tire of the useful sample letters and would have happily read more and more. A great reference for the tentative writer and a good refresher for seasoned writers, as well.
Customer Reviews:
Know the FDCPA before putting letter to use.......2007-05-18
Most these letter appear to be in violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. I did not find it very useful for anyone trying to run an ethical business.
Found this book to be very helpful........2005-02-16
I purchased this book when I was starting my own collection agency and found many great letters here. I mostly used parts of different letters to create my own, but there were alot of great peices to use together. I liked this book so much I purchased it for a friend of mine who was also starting her own collection agency. I would recommend this book to help you create your own debt collection letters. There is quite a bit of good information in this book.
Very, very basic book.......2004-01-08
Upon receipt of this book I was very, very disapointed.
If you are looking for a collection letter book that gives solid, indepth letters that include FDCPA tags and other inportant collection letter information, this is not the book to buy.
The letters are very basic (people with zero experience might find this to be a starting point) and it glosses over many topics. OR does not address them at all. (If you need letters for accounts more than 90 days past due -- there is no help here.)
I will be very wary of what I buy on Amazon based on this experience. If you are doubtful about buying it -- don't!
Average customer rating:
- Not what I was expecting...
- Great book
- Not a practical choice
- 1001 Letters for All Occasions: The Best Models for Every Business and Personal Need
|
1001 Letters for All Occasions: The Best Models for Every Business and Personal Need
Corey Sandler , and
Janice Keefe
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
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ASIN: 1580628907 |
Customer Reviews:
Not what I was expecting..........2007-06-11
I could have written this book myself. The letters are very general and you can find them for FREE on the Internet!
Great book.......2007-01-05
Received this book timely and in great condition. It is a really good book for anyone. Provides good help in all areas of letterwritting.
Not a practical choice.......2006-07-28
Too much of personal letters not much variety of bussiness letters. Very simple choice of words. I could'nt use it at all
1001 Letters for All Occasions: The Best Models for Every Business and Personal Need.......2006-02-26
Everyone should have this book in their personal library. It's one of my best purchases to date. Being an administrative assistant to my pastor makes it necessary for me to be able to construct a proper letter, using correct word choices and grammar. I highly recommend this book.
Book Description
Beat out the competition for the best jobs
Create an image of accomplishment, professionalism, and competence that today’s employers are begging for! Job-seekers have paid hundreds of dollars for the expertise in these dynamic guides — and regarded every cent as well spent! With these job-landing tools on your desktop, you’ll have the same savvy working for you, for far, far less — with the same great results.
101 Best Resumes packs tried-and-proven advice you’ll use to:
*Create a resume that gets you in the door
*Target your resume for a specific positions - over 70 different categories are covered
*Experiment with traditional and new formats
*More!
101 Best Cover Letters shows you how to put together compelling letters to accompany your resume. Learn how to:
*Ignite interest with the first two sentences
*Turn references into endorsements
*Send your cover letter online
*Pick up smart interviewing tips...negotiate a higher salary use the Internet in your job search...work with recruiters... and much, much more!
Download Description
Featuring examples of compelling cover letters to accompany every type of resume, 101 Best Cover Letters shows you how to write professional, persuasive letters that will sell you to any potential employer.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful for the cover letter 'rookie'.......2007-01-26
101 Best Cover Letters is a good buy if you are struggling with putting together just the right words for a great cover letter. Gives some "common sense" tips, but also a variety of styles (i.e. responding to classified ad, how to incorporate a reference, specific careers) for your letter. Obviously you still have to make your cover leter your own, but this book definitely helps get the wheels turning.
101 Flattering cover letters for sycophants.......2006-06-16
The example letters are uniformly dreadful. Marginal grammar and usage combine with a sacherine style aimed at kissing up to second-raters. These letters are guaranteed to repell anyone with whom one would really like to work.
GREAT Book, BUT NOT in Digital Format.......2004-02-12
Great examples of cover letters with explanation of what makes them great, but I only know this because I bought the printed version after not being able to read the examples AT ALL in the downloaded digital version. I even tried reading on a 19" high resolution monitor using the PC version of Microsoft Reader, .
The problem is that even though Microsoft Reader allows one to change the fonts of the print to suit the reader, scanned images like ALL the cover letter examples are not scalable, so it is impossible to distinguish an e from an o, l from an i, and so on.
Amazon should not sell books with graphics and fixed images in digital format, or at least should warn customers of the issue before they pay to download a book in digital format that has over 70% in unscalable, unreadable format.
GREAT FOR THE NEWBIES or EXPERTS OUT THERE!.......2003-06-08
This book was a great investment! The cover letters give you examples to use in your own letter and show you the strengths found in each cover. I actually took a highlighter to this book and highlighted my favorite lines and ideas out of certain letters. I then implemented them into my letter. Great for everyone, the professional or the inexperienced. YOU NEED THIS BOOK!
I was very disappointed with this purchase........2002-08-28
I was very disappointed with this purchase. The only subject the letters cover is for use in getting a job. If I had known that it was strictly targeting getting a job I would have never purchased this. I was looking for a book that had a variety of letters you would find useful in the business world, not getting a job.
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Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
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Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace (9th Edition)
The Craft of Research, 2nd edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
The Bacchae of Euripides: A New Version
