A review by miamuller
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White

2.0

As I write this brief review, I'm bound to violate at least 5 of the many rules these two men have recorded in this book. I definitely learned quite a bit about the English language, and Strunk was even able to add humor to various parts. However (if I remember correctly, one rule was to never start a sentence with 'however'), the author continuously stressed the use of simple, precise words instead of a more complex version (or, in his words, "pretentious"). While this makes sense in some writing, I found it ironic that Strunk kept emphasizing 'don't use pretentious words!!!' when he came off arrogant throughout the entire book. He indirectly called me illiterate several times, simply because I didn't know a particular rule (such as the true meaning of "flammable" vs. "inflammable").

I'd recommend this book overall, but definitely pick and choose the rules you want to follow, and don't forget that your style is unique and some of the best writing breaks the rules!