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The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition (平装)
by William Strunk Jr., E. B. White, Roger Angell
| Category:
Writing, Writing style, Communication |
| Market price: ¥ 128.00
MSL price:
¥ 118.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Most compact and lucid handbook about basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage, and writing style. |
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AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 15 items |
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Julian Stockwin (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
When I first decided I wanted to write a series of historical fiction I was fairly confident of my subject matter as it has been a passion throughout my life, but - and this was a big "but" - I had never written anything before other than business reports. I set about trying to learn the craft of writing from various "how to" books I borrowed from the library or bought in the local bookstore. These were all helpful to varying degrees, but one dog-eared volume that my wife presented to me (she is an ex-magazine editor in chief) stands out. Yes, it was "The Elements of Style", an amazing little book packed full of useful, practical advice for anyone who wants to ensure clarity of communication.
I particularly found the tips in the chapter "An Approach to Style" useful:
1. Place yourself in the background
2. Write in a way that comes naturally
3. Work from a suitable design
4. Write with nouns and verbs
5. Revise and rewrite
6. Do not overwrite
7. Do not overstate
8. Avoid the use of qualifiers
9. Do not affect a breezy manner
10. Use orthodox spelling
11. Do not explain too much
12. Do not construct awkward adverbs
13. Make sure the reader knows who is speaking
14. Avoid fancy words
15. Do not use dialect unless your ear is good
16. Be clear
17. Do not inject opinion
18. Use figures of speech sparingly
19. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity
20. Avoid foreign languages
21. Prefer the standard to the offbeat
The book's a little gem. |
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Mark Laflamme (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
It's always humbling, when you've been writing for decades and start to believe you know what you're doing, when one book proves you wrong over and over.
More professional writers keep The Elements of Style at hand's reach than any other. And it's no wonder. White and Strunk's timeless masterpiece is a no-nonsense guide to writing well and writing by the rules.
I've been a newspaper crime reporter for a dozen years. I've won awards for news writing and for my weekly column, and I've written three novels. And yet, simple matters of style frequently elude me (I have accepted this now) and they always will. Strunk and White are right there, and I cannot remember the last time they failed to provide the tips I was looking for.
It gets said over and over. Aspiring writers must have this book. The advice needs to be expanded to include those who have been writing for years and still manage to produce clunkers that violate sacred rules and leave readers wondering what the hell they meant.
Strunk and White have done more for the art of writing in this slim volume than the pen and lined paper. |
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Anthonio Paulucci (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This is the best book on style, or even writing in general, that there is or ever will be on the market. Why? Because it follows its own rules. Strunk, the original author, wrote 22 general rules of usage and composition (or style when put together), and writes all of them with conviction and even a little humor to lighten up something that has always been a stuffy, that being the English language. With the exception of the last chapter, added by E. B. White much later in the lifeline of this book, Strunk's original work was a cool 60 to 70 pages long. Yet it covers everything needed for a writer to get a grasp on his or her own personal style.
If you're an aspiring writer, then you should have this book. If you don't, then get it immediately. If ever there was a book that was as important to writing as the pen and paper was, this is definitely the one. This is the original, and every over-sized style book to date has failed miserably at what this "little book" (as Strunk and White refer to this book as) has achieved. It's easy to reference, it covers everything needed, and it's concise in all its points. And, once again, it follows its own rules, as you shall see when you read this book.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Strunk & White's 105 page "Elements of Style" deserves to sit on your desk right next to your computer. Strunk laid down the bedrock almost 100 years ago, and E.B. White - one of the 20th Century masters of clear writing gently overhauled the work to bring it up to date. In 2006 it still stands as a beacon of clear, concise guidance.
What distinguishes this book (compared to the somewhat frantic Eats Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss) is that it offers a philosophy that steers us towards clarity above all else. Adopt this as a writing attitude and all else tends to fall into place. You might consider a companion book if your writing is specialized.
- If you are writing detailed technical or academic texts, then the more comprehensive "Chicago Manual of Style" is recommended for you.
- If you are writing fiction, then I would add Stephen King's wonderful rumination: On Writing as another companion volume to Strunk & White.
This volume is a classic for a reason. It gives us principles, not just rules, and it does so with utmost clarity. It leads by example. With these guys by your side, writing can be enjoyable. |
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K. Mills (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This important little reference book was introduced to me as required reading in middle school by an English teacher who obviously knew her stuff. I took it to college and used it as a reference tool for grammar and usage rules, and later I kept it on my bookshelf at work. When I decided to write a novel, I re-read The Elements of Style as a primer. Currently, I'm referring to it again as I'm writing academic papers in grad school.
I have worn through three copies of this book over the years, and I'm sure there'll be several more in my future. It has become one of the most useful books in my collection.
If only all writers were required to read The Elements of Style... what better writing there'd be in this world! What I love about the book is that it practices what it preaches: "Omit needless words!" Everything you need to know about the basic art of better writing is in this wonderful little book. Not a word is wasted. |
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Kelley Hackart (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
My Creative Writing teacher told the class about this book. I still use it as a reference along with my thesaurus and dictionary. There are no exercises in this book, only sound advice for every kind of writer. The Elements of Style is easy to understand and so small it will fit in your purse or pocket. What I really like about this book is that it doesn't blather on and on, it gets to the point quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to improve his or her writing style. |
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Mike Smith (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This book has been an invaluable tool to me for years. It has helped my writing become more precise and clearer, and has helped to be mindful of many important things I had never even thought of. A good writer will take the time to learn the rules of his trade, if for no other reason that to see which ones he needs, and this is a great place to start learning those rules.
This book is by no means a complete resource, but it is the perfect starting place for anyone wishing to sharpen his or her prose, and you will find yourself going back to it again and again, even after you've read countless other manuals and built for years on this little book's foundation.
This book will teach you, shape you, and guide you, and it may turn you into an obnoxious person that no one will like. The punctuation of roadside signs will drive you batty, and you will find yourself correcting them out loud, to whoever will listen. Your parents' grammar will make you resent them. Your wife will earn your disdain for her reckless, sloppy use of "further" and "farther." Your friends will abandon you for the nerd you are, and only Strunk and White will remain to comfort you.
But then...who needs anyone else? |
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T. Tak (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This book is less than 100 pages long but it has lots of information about grammar, idioms and dictions that people often ignore and use misleadingly. Especially, nowadays when colloquial English dominated our language in advertisements, magazines and other media, this book is a easy-to-read guide to make us aware of the mistakes we are making. I mean, just the fact that E. B. White, a master storyteller, wrote this book has some credentials, don't you think?
I like how he explains things using a very common language (although this book was originally written for Yale students) and support what he means by providing examples. I thought this was a perfect guide to prepare students for the SAT tests or just improve one's writing in general, because he pinpoints common mistakes everyone makes. For example, a lot of people say "I try and do that" but grammatically and logically, it should be "I try to do that". Instead of looking through hundreds of pages of textbook which really will say the same things in vague words, just read this and you will be amazed at how much you can learn!
However, it should be marked down a little because he assumes too much things from the readers. The author, E.B. White, assumes that we know grammatical vocabularies like indirect or direct pronouns which can be very confusing. So if you are a beginner in grammar, this book should come later on the road.
Otherwise, it was a very informative and helpful read. |
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The New York Times (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Buy it, study it, enjoy it. It's as timeless as a book can be in our age of volubility. |
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The Boston Globe (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume.
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1 2 | Total 2 pages 15 items |
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