About this title: A beloved classic, this definitive volume on the art of nonfiction writing celebrates its 30th anniversary. Revised seven times, it has stood the test of time and remains a valued resource for writers.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Book is in good reading condition. Book shows little wear. Dust jacket has light wear/rounding at edges. Dust jacket included. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Edition: 30 Anv
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Date Published: 5/9/2006
ISBN-13:9780060891541ISBN:0060891548
Description: Fine. 0060891548 **30th Anniversary Edition** NEW/UNREAD! ! ! Text is Clean and Unmarked! --Be Sure to Compare Seller Feedback and Ratings before Purchasing--Has a small black line on bottom/exterior edge of pages. May have light shelf wear to cover from storage, if any. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Date Published: 1998-01-01
ISBN-13:9780965647625ISBN:0965647625
Description: New. Hardback w/ DJ. You are buying a Book in NEW condition with very light shelf wear to include very light edge and corner wear. Buy it Now! ! ! As always, thank you for buying this book from International Book Source, YOUR ONE source FOR ALL your BOOK related NEEDS. Please remember to CHOOSE carefully how QUICKLY you would like to RECEIVE this material FAST, or standard (on next page). Thanks again! ! ! ! read more
Edition: 6th Revised and Updated ed.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: HarperResource
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9780062735232ISBN:0062735233
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. As-new softcover, completely clean and tight, appears unread. No marks, flaws, or bumps upon careful inspection. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 308 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Fine. Stated 1st Edition. Excellent condition. Appears unread. No marks/underlines/highlights. Pages are clean and tight. Satisfaction guaranteed! read more
Description: Very good; Collectible. 1979 Harper & Row hard cover edition with fine dust jacket-minor staining at page edge-otherwise this is a fine clean solid tight copy. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Harpercollins
Date Published: 2006-05-31
ISBN-13:9780060891541ISBN:0060891548
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780060891541. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Collins
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780060891541ISBN:0060891548
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Good. Book shows minor use. Cover and Binding have minimal wear and the pages have only minimal creases. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company. read more
Description: Good. Book shows minor use. Cover and Binding have minimal wear and the pages have only minimal creases. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company. read more
Description: Good. Only lightly used. Book has minimal wear to cover and binding. A few pages may have small creases and minimal underlining. Book selection as BIG as Texas. read more
"This is a classic for all writers, no matter the genre. It reminds us to take time with out writing and create good writing, not just pound out the sentences to get the job done. Writing is a craft that takes time, patience, experience and imagination. After reading this, I went back over some of my own recent writing and noticed several places where it could be improved. I keep this on my bookshelf in the "do not give away" section!"
"William Zinsser did not sell more than a million copies of On Writing Well by writing for the APA only. Zinsser was successful because he wrote for the average reader by writing for himself. He conveyed his identity in his work by writing from his perspective. The uniqueness of Zinsser's voice and ideas are fresh to the reader, who wants to read anything but a 300-paged address about grammar's conventional rules. Zinsser also avoided condescension in his tone by writing for himself. Who would condescend himself? The average reader can recognize when he is belittled regardless of how plain he is. According to Zinsser, the reader wants to figure out the meaning of the text by himself. The clarity in Zinsser's writing, which has few words with more than syllables but many contractions, is clear enough. Zinsser's writing is clear because Zinsser must understand his own writing when he writes for himself. Clarity and brevity are among Zinsser's treasured virtues in writing because the reader is human and impatient.
Another piece of advice conveyed in this book is that writers should write about what they like. If one were to write about his interests, he would know his subjects and have the drive to write about them.
Although On Writing Well probably offends every one who strictly condemns the placement of "But" at the beginning of a sentence or the casual usage of contractions, it yet offers invaluable advice to those who wants to write but is confined by the fear of writing, which is everyone."
"Of all books I have read about writing, this one is the most accessible and useful. It's a practical guide on how to be clear and concise in nonfiction writing. William Zinsser's tone is conversational and his sense of humor made me chuckle.
It's good to know that Zinsser thinks that a sentence is a fine thing for a preposition to be put at the end of. And it's ok to begin a sentence with a conjunction. I don't agree with everything he says, but he makes good points about what works with nonfiction writing and what doesn't.
I would give the book 5 stars for the sections on technique. The rest of the book covers styles of nonfiction writing and gets 3 stars. I plan to buy a copy for my collection of reference books."
"These are just part of the notes I have to take for school 1. Simplicity - What does it mean to have simplicity in your writing? What are some steps to attaining it? 2. Clutter - What does it look like not to have clutter in your writing? Give some examples. 3. Style - According to Zinsser, where does style come from? 4. Audience - Who does Zinsser say is your most important audience? Which of his 3 example excerpts do you like best and why? 5. Words - What is a cliché? What are some that you've heard today? 6. Usage - What does Zinsser say about using the same verb tense throughout a piece? What should every successful piece of nonfiction leave the reader with? 7. The Lead and The Ending - What is the importance of a good lead? What does it mean to bring a story full circle? 8. Bits and Pieces Define these terms in your own words or Zinsser's. (Please DO NOT look them up in the dictionary:
Verbs: Exclamation Point: Adverbs: Dash: Adjectives: Semicolon: Little Qualifiers: Overstatement: Paragraphs: Rewriting: Sexism (as relates to pronouns):"
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