Writing at Work is for people who do or will write while on the job whether the writing be an interoffice memo, e-mail, a status report, a lab report, marketing materials, or a letter to a customer. The philosophy behind Writing at Work is that such writing needn't be stale and unoriginal but can instead be a sophisticated piece of work that positively reflects the competence of its composer to all who read it. Rather than dwell on picky, little "rules" that you must adhere to when writing, Writing at Work focuses on the real rules of grammar and aspects of style that you really need to know in order to write with confidence. Using examples realistically drawn from work settings, Writing at Work presents each topic in a manner that is at once accessible and inviting. Spread throughout the text are exercises that provide you with ample opportunity to write, revise, and correct the kinds of written tasks typically encountered at work. You can immediately gauge your progress by checking your work against the answers listed at the end of each chapter.
In the course of twenty-five chapters, Smith and Bernhardt write in a lively manner about the elementary rules (and "non-rules") of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure up through discussions on jargon, technical language, and then on to the "tones" of writing, parallel structure, and playful and elegant prose. I really enjoyed reading this book because I was able to review those elementary rules (without too much pain) as well as get some validation for stylistic choices I've made in my own writing. So much of how a person writes -- whether it's "good" writing or not -- is rather semi-conscious. "Writing at Work" makes the reader conscious about what they're doing in their writing as well as makes a strong case for putting elegant, persuasive writing back into technical and business communications.And I only had to re-write the last paragraph a few times....
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.