- Paperback: 226 pages
- Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (Jun 15 1995)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0226899152
- ISBN-13: 978-0226899152
- Product Dimensions: 21.7 x 14.2 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 249 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#21,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #58 in Books > Reference > Writing > Writing Skills
- #88 in Books > Reference > Words & Language > Linguistics
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
"Telling me to 'Be clear,' " writes Joseph M. Williams in Style: Toward Clarity and Grace, "is like telling me to 'Hit the ball squarely.' I know that. What I don't know is how to do it." If you are ever going to know how to write clearly, it will be after reading Williams' book, which is a rigorous examination of--and lesson in--the elements of fine writing. With any luck, your clear writing will turn graceful, as well. Though most of us, says Williams, would be happy just to write "clear, coherent, and appropriately emphatic prose," he is not content to teach us just that. He also attempts, by way of example, to determine what constitutes elegant writing.
Despite the proliferation of books in this genre, rarely does one feel so confident in one's instructor. Williams is meticulous and exacting, yet never pedantic. Though he agrees with most of his grammarian colleagues that, generally speaking, the active voice is better than the passive or that the ordinary word is preferable to the fancy, Williams is also quick to assert that there's no sense learning a rule "if all we can do is obey it." And he is most emphatic about the absurdity of prescriptions concerning usage (such as, "Never begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction"). Such rules, he says, "are 'violated' so consistently that, unless we are ready to indict for bad grammar just about every serious writer of modern English, we have to reject as misinformed anyone who would attempt to enforce them." --Jane Steinberg
From Library Journal
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.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
- Craig W. Beard, Harding Univ. Lib., Searcy, Ark.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great insights into the cognitive processes of reading,
By A Customer
This review is from: Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Paperback)
If you are like me, you have long known you had an aptitude for writing but been amazed at the range of your experiences as a writer. At times you've been told you write with amazing force and clarity, while at others you've been told your writing is verbose and even "chatty." Why the disparity? You'll understand why when you read this book. More than any other work I've seen, this book provides insight into how the mind operates during reading and applies this insight to the process of writing. Williams makes explicit the many subtle and not so subtle patterns and principles that govern how the mind comprehends writing. If you've had the experience of writing well--and not so well--but not realized why, this book will help you by revealing the principles of clarity that you've been applying intuitively for years--and those you haven't. This is a demanding but very rewarding book that would be of enormous value not only to writers, but to editors and even casual readers who want to deepen their appreciation of what makes lucid writing what it is. I can't recommend it highly enough.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
perfect for software engineers,
By
This review is from: Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Paperback)
Perfect book for software engineers, and any other extremely smart persons who tend to disdain "illogical" rules and exhortations.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should Be in Classrooms,
By BP (Herndon, VA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Paperback)
I can't believe I was never given this great book in school. I learned how bad my "good" writing was and why. Williams unveils the habit of politicians, academics, and writers to hide behind flowery language to compensate for substance. This book changed my writing entirely.
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