Less Than Words Can Say (Common Reader Editions)

According to Richard Mitchell, sloppy language makes sloppy thought possible. When it comes to sloppy language and to the sloppy thought that accompanies it, the education establishment is king. In this provocative book, therefore, Mitchell dissects the jargon-laden nonsense that passes for thought in America's schools by subjecting to his inimitable withering critique the letters, memos, speeches, and missives of those in... Read Full Review

More a book on philosophy and the nature of thought than the problems and trials of language, Mitchell has put together a remarkably thoughtful and well-planned book.He takes apart bad writing with skill and aplomb, but does so without exposing the bad writers to unnecessary, uneducational humiliation. Some would say he needs to lead with a gentler hand, but I think he does a good job of showing how poor language skills lead... Read Full Review

This, Mitchell's first book, is also his best. Mitchell takes examples of bad writing and rips them to shreds. While some would think these mistakes don't really matter ("We all know what she means, don't we?"), Mitchell insists that they do, because they are revelations about the mind that wrote them. Thus examples of bad writing that come from "educators" are given special attention; if educators have twisted minds,... Read Full Review

Through college and in the business world we are taught a thousand ways to write. Most of our lessons deal with the style of the reader/professor/boss. Unfortunately, these people have adapted to the same writing fallacies that plague the rest of the nation. This book addresses these common problems. The author explains the problem, gives us real life examples, and shows you how to avoid the problem in your writing. Additionally,... Read Full Review