Genealogy Books - On Writing Well, 25th Anniversary : The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (On Writing Well)

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Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: Useful for Both Readers and Writers
Comment: I first came across "On Writing Well" fifteen years ago, when I read the second edition. I thought
it useful enough that I read it again twice at five year intervals.

Since my copy was
literally coming apart at the seams, I purchased this sixth edition, which contains most of the
content of the second, but adds chapters about specific forms of writing (The Interview, The Memoir,
Science and Technology, Business Writing, Sports, Humor, etc). Additionally, it includes many more
examples of what Mr. Zinsser considers to be good writing, some from his own writings and many more
from those of other writers.

His selection of writers is so good that I recently
purchased a copy of the book as a gift for a foreign student who asked me for list of recent quality
American non-fiction.

I like his writing enough that I have read several more of his
books ("Writing About Your Life: A journey Into the Past," "Writing to Learn," and "Willie and
Dwike"). I find him to be best in writing about memoirs, but like the rest of us he has a limited
reservoir of experience, and tends to repeat himself across books. He likes "Willie and Dwike" best
of all his books; so do I.

He obviously has had a successful and happy life, which
causes him to be a bit of a Pollyanna and critical of writers who write about the dark side of human
nature. On the other hand, he does cite Mencken, Joseph Heller, Gary Trudeau and others of that
persuasion, so not all is lost.

It's a fine book that will make you both a better
writer and a better reader.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Amazingly entertaining and practical!
Comment: I was an English major and am currently a freelance editor, and Zinsser's book "On Writing Well" is
the only writing book I've ever read that I've found to be both practical and entertaining. />
First I must say that "On Writing Well" is not intended as a grammar manual; so if that is
what you're looking for, this book is not for you. (In fact, a strict grammarian will find some of
Zinsser's opinions and usage rather liberal.)

Zinsser does address craft, however, and
this book covers a broad range of writing topics, with chapter titles ranging from "Usage" to
"Humor" to "The Sound of Your Voice." One entire section of chapters is devoted to genre-specific
insights.

"On Writing Well" doesn't merely tell how to improve writing techniques; it
gives interesting examples--articles that I found interesting in and of themselves. In particular,
an article about a Saharan caravan caught my attention, and Zinsser shows, step by step, why he
wrote that article the way he did.

This book is a "must have" that increased my
passion for writing and provided me with the tools to "write well." It was the first book I was told
to read in my editorial internship, and I've read it at least three times since.

Customer Rating:

Summary: A writing and editing handbook
Comment: As newspaper editor, I quote Zinsser frequently and discuss passages from "On Writing Well" with
reporters of all skill levels. He is the flag bearer for all editors -- when you write, tell the
story clearly and concisely. Zinsser tells us how to do it -- clearly, concisely and with a style
that keeps you coming back.

Customer Rating:

Summary: great book
Comment: Some writing books can be filled with rules and be rather dull, but this one was actually fun to
read. Zinsser's dry wit and personality comes through from cover to cover. Our writing team has
used it for the past couple of years and recommend it often. It is the best book on writing that
we've ever used.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great Book.
Comment: Pay attention when he says something new. He will show it to you right away.

Back to On Writing Well, 25th Anniversary : The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (On Writing Well)

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