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How to Not Write Bad: The Most Common Writing Problems and the Best Ways to Avoid Them by Ben Yagoda
papelgren's review against another edition
3.0
A very helpful primer, especially for those of us who think we are decent writers. Not so much, according to Yagoda. This book points out all the mistakes.
bookjerm's review against another edition
5.0
This book is necessary addition to any writer's reference shelf; it has made it to my Top 5 Favorite Books on Writing. Not only is this book articulate and well-organized, but it is also expansive. Ben Yagoda talks about punctuation, grammar, style in a very approachable manner. I highly recommend this book, which I consider second only to the infamous Elements of Style.
reader_cheryl's review against another edition
5.0
I use this book in my English Comp class--the reading/writing style isn't dull. Yagoda gets his points across using humor. Not your typical grammar book and that is a good thing.
toeffy's review against another edition
4.0
A very useful overview
I really enjoyed the first two parts of the book. Being a non-native English speaker, I've found the brevity of most grammar / punctuation rules very practical; to the point of having some of them pinned at my desk. For the most part there were no lengthy explanations why one should or should not write this way or another, a simple "Don't do that" really does the trick. I also agree with Yagoda, that the best way to improve your writing is by reading a lot. Therefore short advice, as the ones given in this book, help best to point one's attention to the problem-areas; whereas, in the end, one should learn to rely on one's own aquired sense of style.
This is not a five-star-rating, however, for I've found the style section to be rather subjective. Yagoda's advise on style / word choice can be boiled down to "keep it short and simple". On the other hand, as he expressively states in the introduction, it is a book on not writing bad; therefore "the sky is blue", while bland, is not bad writing, whereas "the azure hue of the heavenly dome" is. [Btw, I get the feeling that I violated all of the punctuation rules of the book in that last sentence... So, if anything, it at least makes you aware of your problems.]
Facit: I do wholeheartedly recommend it to aspiring writers (native and non-native alike), though I feel like his stylistic advice is rather subjective and more useful for journalism / non-fiction than fiction writers.
I really enjoyed the first two parts of the book. Being a non-native English speaker, I've found the brevity of most grammar / punctuation rules very practical; to the point of having some of them pinned at my desk. For the most part there were no lengthy explanations why one should or should not write this way or another, a simple "Don't do that" really does the trick. I also agree with Yagoda, that the best way to improve your writing is by reading a lot. Therefore short advice, as the ones given in this book, help best to point one's attention to the problem-areas; whereas, in the end, one should learn to rely on one's own aquired sense of style.
This is not a five-star-rating, however, for I've found the style section to be rather subjective. Yagoda's advise on style / word choice can be boiled down to "keep it short and simple". On the other hand, as he expressively states in the introduction, it is a book on not writing bad; therefore "the sky is blue", while bland, is not bad writing, whereas "the azure hue of the heavenly dome" is. [Btw, I get the feeling that I violated all of the punctuation rules of the book in that last sentence... So, if anything, it at least makes you aware of your problems.]
Facit: I do wholeheartedly recommend it to aspiring writers (native and non-native alike), though I feel like his stylistic advice is rather subjective and more useful for journalism / non-fiction than fiction writers.
krismarley's review against another edition
4.0
I plan to eventually purchase this book to have on hand for quick reference. While Yagoda could be full of rage as a writing expert, he's sweet and sympathetic.
Though I'm still not confident that I can correctly identify a dangling modifier, I gained a lot of ideas for changes I can, and need to, implement right away in my writing.
It was somewhat confusing for my little peabrain to switch been examples and non-examples. That's my only complaint about this book.
Though I'm still not confident that I can correctly identify a dangling modifier, I gained a lot of ideas for changes I can, and need to, implement right away in my writing.
It was somewhat confusing for my little peabrain to switch been examples and non-examples. That's my only complaint about this book.
emiged's review against another edition
3.0
Mr. Yagoda's How to Not Write Bad reads as a modern update to Strunk & White's classic The Elements of Style. The conversational tone, with liberal dashes of humor thrown in, feels like a friend offering writing advice - straightforward, common-sense advice on how to, well, not write badly. He includes easy guidelines for avoiding common grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes, but also provides some more general suggestions gleaned from his "twenty years of teaching advanced journalism and writing classes at a selective university."
First of all, don't aim too high, he warns.
So, he urges, let's start with the very basics. The simple, one-word prescription for improving your writing is read. Invoking Malcolm Gladwell, Yagoda states that "in order to become an outstanding practitioner in any discipline, you need to devote to it roughly 10,000 hours of practice." (If that's true, I'm a reading guru several times over by now!)
To read the rest of this review, visit my blog Build Enough Bookshelves.
First of all, don't aim too high, he warns.
"Most students, I've found, can't handle writing 'well.' At this point in their writing lives, that goal is simply too ambitious... You have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run. And you have to be able to put together a clear and at least borderline graceful sentence, and to link that sentence with another one, before you can expect to make like David Foster Wallace... What I'm talking about here is good-enough writing. As with parenting, it isn't necessarily easy to achieve, but it's definitely achievable. And it's a decidedly worthwhile goal."
So, he urges, let's start with the very basics. The simple, one-word prescription for improving your writing is read. Invoking Malcolm Gladwell, Yagoda states that "in order to become an outstanding practitioner in any discipline, you need to devote to it roughly 10,000 hours of practice." (If that's true, I'm a reading guru several times over by now!)
To read the rest of this review, visit my blog Build Enough Bookshelves.