Anyone from high school students to top executives will find Everyone Can Write: A Guide to Get You Started, by Howard Gelman, a handy guide. This is a great little book that explains some of the finer points of grammar and style with an an easy-to-follow approach.
While his emphasis is on non-fiction writing – reports, letters, essays – Gelman also explores techniques of narrative writing. He offers ten basic rules that cover punctuation, pronouns, passive voice, dependent and independent clauses, and structure. Additionally, there is advice on how to approach and structure an essay, the stages of writing, and how you know when your work is finished.
This book is not a preachy grammar guide. And the straightforward style makes the information accessible to all readers. Included in the back of the book are practical reference lists: one of similar words, but with different meanings; one of common grammar terms and problematic issues; clichés to avoid; typography terms; and useful single words that encompass complex descriptions.
Everyone Can Write will find a place on my desk next to Eats, Shoots and Leaves,by Lynne Truss,and William Strunk’s The Elements of Style. As a University lecturer and commissioning editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the author, Howard Gelman, has seen all the common writing errors. This practical book, written by an expert on the subject, will prevent you from making those mistakes again.
REVIEWER: Gillian Whalley Torckler
TITLE: Everyone Can Write: A Guide to Get You Started
AUTHOR(S): Howard Gelman
PUBLISHER: Exisle Publishing