Synopses & Reviews
A revised and updated edition of one of the most successful guides to writing ever published (one million copies sold).
A Classic in its Field, On Writing Well is the Indispensable reference tool for anyone who writes, wants to learn to write, or needs to do some writing to get through the day -- as almost everybody does. Illustrated with examples of superb writing, the book covers a variety of subject areas, from travel, memoir, and science writing to business, sports, humor, and the arts. This expanded and updated edition features revised chapters, fresh examples of good writing, and two completely new chapters. One new chapter, "Enjoyment, Fear, and Confidence", urges writers to live interesting lives and to trust their general intelligence. The other, "The Tyranny of the Final Product", counsels writers not to try to visualize the complete article, but to focus on earlier decisions of selection, construction, and voice that will eventually let them know what their piece is about. Written by a master writer, editor, and teacher, On Writing Well is the writing book people swear by and love to recommend.
"On Writing Well belongs on any shelf of serious reference works for writers -- along with, say, Fowler's Modern English Usage and Strunk and White's The Elements of Style". -- New York Times
About the Author
William Zinsser is a writer, editor and teacher. He began his career with the New York Herald Tribune and has been a longtime contributor to leading magazines. His 17 books include Writing to Learn; Mitchell &Ruff; Spring Training; American Places; Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs; and most recently Writing About Your Life. During the 1970s he taught writing at Yale, where he was master of Branford College. He now teaches at the New School, in New York, his hometown, and at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.