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showell's review against another edition
5.0
My husband insists that I add this to our daughter's list, as he is diligently reading it to her.
rhoadey's review against another edition
5.0
Perfect handbook to the fundamentals
If you want to write clearly and concisely, this belongs on your bookshelf. Use as a reference or read through.
If you want to write clearly and concisely, this belongs on your bookshelf. Use as a reference or read through.
cubehead27's review against another edition
informative
I read a copy of this from the shelf of the writing centre where I work during unbooked hours. I had hoped to find a copy of the later Strunk-White edition, but since I have read E.B. White's introduction before I'm not intolerably disappointed. I did find a great deal of value in the book - Strunk's formal explanations of things I've mostly navigated by instinct are really very eye-opening. I did also find him less of a prescriptivist than I was expecting. That said, he is still fairly uncompromising and rigid on many fronts, sometimes to his detriment. For one, his view of what is "correct" in academic writing is (obviously) very in line with Standard Language Ideology, and as a fan of Vershawn Ashanti Young's work on this subject I can't help grinding my teeth a little at several points. In certain sections (particularly in his list of commonly misused words), Strunk's complete preference for clarity and good grammatical flow causes him to declare a preference for one word, phrase, or construction over another, when in fact the two constructions he contrasts have distinct meanings. (For example, his preference for "students" over "student body", and "dormitories" over "the dormitory system.") As such, his total preference for clear, concise, and readable writing is sometimes extended so far as to obscure the precise meaning a writer may be trying to communicate.
authorpaulalafferty's review against another edition
5.0
A beautifully written and comprehensive book on writing. I ate it up and will come back for seconds and thirds later.
ericfheiman's review against another edition
5.0
Required reading for anyone who writes. Hell, for everyone in this information overload/bad grammar age.
lelandbuck's review against another edition
5.0
This is my absolute favorite "reference" book.
The Elements of Style is a 90 page book that contains the wisdom of many volumes. The book seeks to instruct writers, not to train grammarians. Its presentation is direct, laconic, and intended to inspire concision and clarity in writing.
Hefty English grammar books enumerating the structures and variances of forms are plentiful. This is not one of them. William Strunk and E.B. White no doubt marveled at the intricacy of English, but their book is not about pointing out the limitless variance of English; it is about the craft of applying concrete principles of construction.
I first obtained a copy of this book in school in the early 1980's. I referred to it frequently as a reference, poking in to the index in search of some singular guidance. It was ten years later that I actually sat down and read it cover to cover. From that point I have rarely sat down to write without a copy near at hand. I have re-read it numerous times, each with a fresh sense of awe.
On a well-tended writer's bookshelf, The Elements of Style will always find a place.
The Elements of Style is a 90 page book that contains the wisdom of many volumes. The book seeks to instruct writers, not to train grammarians. Its presentation is direct, laconic, and intended to inspire concision and clarity in writing.
Hefty English grammar books enumerating the structures and variances of forms are plentiful. This is not one of them. William Strunk and E.B. White no doubt marveled at the intricacy of English, but their book is not about pointing out the limitless variance of English; it is about the craft of applying concrete principles of construction.
I first obtained a copy of this book in school in the early 1980's. I referred to it frequently as a reference, poking in to the index in search of some singular guidance. It was ten years later that I actually sat down and read it cover to cover. From that point I have rarely sat down to write without a copy near at hand. I have re-read it numerous times, each with a fresh sense of awe.
On a well-tended writer's bookshelf, The Elements of Style will always find a place.
ultimatumman's review against another edition
4.0
Great reference book for writers. Also contains good advice on improving the quality of your writing.
johnbreeden's review against another edition
5.0
I have heard a lot of praise for this short book and it's value for a new writer. I can now say I fully understand and concur. At times humorous in its forcefulness, I appreciate the straightforward approach to writing, grammar and spelling that Strunk lays out. I almost wish the volume had not been revised, even though I understand the reasoning. Those revisions bring some elements into the modern usages, but I can appreciate and hear Strunk's voice coming through. I hope that I can keep all of this in my head when I write. I think I could only benefit for it.