Genealogy Books - Writing To Learn

Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: Elegant book on the importance of writing
Comment: Zinsser's book is both an anthology and a narrative about his experience with the concept of
"writing across the curriculum." He recounts how good writing in other fields helped break down his
misconception that certain subjects were, at best boring, or at worst, unlearnable. He posits that
writing is the best way for students to engage with material--any material.

Through
carefully selected reading examples and personal examples, Zinsser engages with the natural world,
art, physics, music, chemistry, mathematics, anthropology, etc...the world of learning becomes
limitless and accessible. Zinsser defines three "R"s for writing: No matter the subject, good
writing will have Resonance, Relevancy and Responsibility (Accountability).

Customer Rating:

Summary: More an argument for writing in the curriculum than a writing guide
Comment: The book is funny at times, and recounts a few interesting anectdotes. It seems dated to me though,
as its purpose is to argue for the inclusion of writing instruction accross all subjects in the
introductory undergaduate curriculum. This is no longer a novel idea, and many liberal arts
colleges and universities already do this. Furthermore, Zinsser's argument is purely anectdotal,
and focusses on demonstrating that professors, especially in the sciences, can indeed implement
writing components in their courses. Zinsser does not do much to analyze the effects of these
efforts, to see if previously bad writers improved, or that the writing assignments actually helped
increase either understanding of, or curiosity in, a given subject.

The book is *not* a
guide on how to write, or on how, specifically, one can structure one's research and writing to best
learn one's subject matter. Zinsser illustrates only the most basic principles (be specific, avoid
excessive jargon).

Customer Rating:

Summary: The Perfect Complement to On Writing Well
Comment: I read this book for both its subject matter and the bibliography. Zinsser leads the reader to good
writing in the literature of mathematics physics and chemistry and more from disciplines thought of
as other than suitable for writerfs. Zinsser shows by example that writing is not the sole domain
of the humanities but across the spectrum of disciplines. He builds the case for writing across the
curriculum, providing good models from fields as diverse as chemistry to music. Here is an engaging
way to learn for all of us. There is an exciting literature to be written of mathematics, physics,
chemistry and biochemistry. In the words of William Zinsser, gIf writing is learned by imitation,
I want every learner to imitate the best.h Writing to Learn names some of the giants from a
variety of disciplines and shows the way by referencing their work.

As more than a million copies
of this book have been sold and its being issued on its 25th anniversary, Washington would do well
to mandate purchase of Writing to Learn by politicians, teachers and other agitators claiming more
tax dollars for education, and send them away with the missive: READ AND APPLY NO FUNDING SUPPLIED.
William Zinsser has given us a brilliant and practical; low-tech and real learning philosophy for
the classroom and beyond.

Customer Rating:

Summary: An "Admirable Complement"
Comment: For those who have read _On Writing Well_, the classic guide to writing better--meaning:
clearer--prose, an excellent follow-up is this book, entitled _Writing to Learn: How to Write--and
Think--Clearly About any Subject at All_. With such a title little needs to be said regarding the
book's purpose and content. (It focuses on a variety of subjects, from philosophy all the way to
chemistry, and shows how each can be written about in clear prose _for the benefit of the
writer_.)

I got the book after listening to a course by Leonard Peikoff on the philosophy of
education. In it, he states that writing should be an integral part of every subject, so much so
that there should be one grade based on _what_ the student knows and another based on _how_ he
expresses that knowledge in writing. When I bought it, I wanted to see how this would play out in
real life, were it ever enacted. Also, to be honest, I was just a tad bit skeptical that it could be
used effectively with such subjects as mathematics and chemistry.

What I learned from reading the
book was that writing about a variety of subjects is not only possible but of inestimable help to
the student--not to mention the teacher too, as it makes their job of evaluating the status of each
child's education much easier. There were many insightful comments in the book and a few precious
gems of wisdom. On the topic of obscurity, for instance, Zinsser writes:

"Obscurity being one of
the deadly sins, anyone might suppose that serious people would labor mightily to avoid it in their
writing. But to suppose this is to overlook another force of nature that almost equals entropy as a
drag on life's momentum. That force is snobbery. Yes, gentle reader (as the Victorian novelists put
it when they had to deal with the darker traits), it pains me to say that there are writers who
actually want to be obscure. Their principle habitat is Academia, though they can be spotted without
the aid of binoculars wherever intellectuals flock. Not for them the short words and active verbs
and concrete details of ordinary speech; they believe that a simple style is the sign of a simple
mind. Actually a simple style is the result of harder thinking and harder work than they are willing
or able to do."

Unfortunately, such witty observations do not occupy every page of the book. There
are times when teaching children long-division is looked down upon because we now have calculators,
others where Zinnser argues that the "creative process" is some sort of mystical mystery. And yet,
with all the good attributes of this book--including a host of smartly chosen essays--these faults
that I so unmercifully find can be, if not overlooked, at least seen in their proper context.

That
context is not unlike one where a few small dents appear after close inspection on a good-looking
sportscar. The errors may detract a little from its over-all value, but not by much (they do not,
for instance, change the fact that what you are getting is worth a lot). And thus my recommendation
to you, with both, would be--and is--similar: do not let any minor faults distract you, but rather
place them in an appropriate context so that you can unapologetically enjoy the value that they
give. With this book especially I can assure you that your investment will be wisely made and
handsomely rewarded.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Illustrious Life, Dense writer
Comment: William Zinsser has lived an illustrious life as a working writer, editor, and teacher. He draws
from this extensive experience and writes to encourage the teaching of writing accross the
curriculum, as well as to allay fears of writing and of subjects we don't have an aptitude for.

Zinsser provides thorough and stunning examples of good writing from diverse disciplines,
sprinkled with his own insightful commentary about what makes it good.
Buy this book if only
for the catalog of excellant examples of the writing of notable thinkers like Thomas Lewis, Albert
Einstein, Steven Gould, and many more.
Zinser includes excellant stories of how writing in
any subject area encourages clear reasoning and thinking and concise expression in reader and writer
alike. Students who write learn more and know why they do. Encourage your students to do so.

Back to Writing To Learn

Showing page 1 of 2
1 | 2 |