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dillarhonda's review against another edition
Harold Evan's latest book Do I Make Myself Clear? is as much an ode to clear prose as it is an invective against sloppy thinking. It is also a fantastic practical guide for anyone looking to strengthen their writing. Focusing exclusively on nonfiction, Evans pulls positive and negative examples and dissects their strengths and weaknesses. His book is full of useful lists of common errors, simple shortcuts to clarification, and tables breaking down how an article could be edited. What makes this volume stand out from others of its kind is Evan's warmth and humor. His own prose is spectacularly lucid and even when he's untangling a particularly contorted sentence, his wit never wavers. As with most editorial pronouncements, there's a fair share of Evan's personal taste that comes across as indelible law. But taken with a miniscule grain of salt, this is a book that should be on the shelf of every aspiring writer right next to Strunk and White's (much less entertaining) Elements of Style.
ramonamead's review against another edition
1.0
Couldn't get through it. Immediately it was super dense and over my head. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for in terms of writing instruction.
chewdigestbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This should be a must-read for every zombie-word user....
lirael's review against another edition
3.0
I love books about writing and editing for clarity. Ironically, I think this book could use more editing--it's pretty wordy at times.
gretgretch's review against another edition
4.0
Predatory clauses, meaningless modifiers, Kafka waking up in Bleak House—Evans brings mundane rules to life. I appreciated his timely examples and ability to make me chuckle throughout. "The fog that envelops English is not just a question of good taste, style, and aesthetics. It is a moral issue." Words matter.
ramonamead's review against another edition
1.0
Couldn't get through it. Immediately it was super dense and over my head. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for in terms of writing instruction.
epollack's review against another edition
4.0
So well written, so entertaining and so much more than I expected from a book on writing and editing.
Well worth the investment of time.
Well worth the investment of time.
jjweisman's review against another edition
4.0
Dangling prepositions and which/that distinctions are yesterday's news. Enter bloated text, filled with obfuscating jargon, stripped of meaning. Harold Evans is ready to fight it: are you? You could be. And clarity will be all of our reward.
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