Rating: 
Summary: Can I rate a book at six stars? Seven? Eight?
Review: This book is phenomenal. I write for a living and make it my business to read as much as I can about writing in order to refine my skills. This is the one book I return to again and again--particularly when I feel my writing getting stale. I recommend this to my students and fellow writers--even creative writers. It's a winner for anyone who wants to improve their writing.
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Summary: It IS a classic....
Review: ....and fun to read, for Zinsser practices what he teaches others to do: write clearly and with vigor. Versatile and indispensable.
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Summary: Every writer should read this...
Review: When one of my professors handed back an essay he marked it all in red. It was then I knew I needed improve my writing style. My professor emphasized the importance of using the correct word in the correct situation, writing what is really meant, and getting rid of all useless word clutter. When I found this book on amazon.com, I was delighted, but I wasn't sure what to exactly expect. To my surprise, Zinsser emphasizes the exact same principles my Humanities professor did (yet they had never been emphasized in any prior class)! Zinsser gives extremely practical advice about writing, in a very flowing and interesting style. One important thing he stresses is that to write well, one has to *work at it*. I was used to sitting down and expecting the words just to flow. Now when I write, I take the time to use the principles Zinsser outlines. This is one of those books that I have highlighted nearly every line in. The whole book is very useful for the professional and novice writer. I don't think I would ever be without it. The interview section was particularly helpful when I needed to do one for a church newsletter. There should be something for everyone who wants to write about places, sports, science, business, or memoirs (there is a chapter on each). This book will be of particular help to me when I go to graduate school next year. Then I will especially need to be able to organize my thoughts and write in a clear and concise manner. Overall I cannot stop stressing how important this book has been in improving my writing style.
Rating: 
Summary: a valuable book
Review: I am a reporter on a small town weekly and bought this book - along with several others - as a refresher course. I would recommend it to anyone who writes for a living, because Zinsser writes so well, teaches so well and gives such good examples. Although he's writing about assignments that people like me can only dream about, I have found that his guidance has stayed with me and is applicable to everyday newspaper work. I particularly liked his emphasis on avoiding abstractions in leads, and his willingness for journalism to be entertaining. Moreover, it's a very readable book. I will never forget the story about going to Timbuktoo.
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Summary: DOT COM land? Consulting? Buy this
Review: If you're writing technical docs then this is THE book to have. Don't waste more time. Get the team on the case.
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Summary: How to Write More Well
Review: Before I read William Zinsser's book On Writing Well, I was notaware that any book that deals with such thorny issues as grammar andword choice could be fun and entertaining. But Zinsser's book destroys the stereotype-it teaches great writing while being humorous.
The first of four parts, Principles, discusses matters such as word choice and style, especially simplicity. Part two is Methods. It cites examples of good writing, and discusses the various attributes of those pieces, including an invaluable short section on grammar. The third part, Forms, includes details on how to write for specific genres. And the final part, Attitudes, addresses what I consider the writer's most valuable thing: his view of his craft. In the first part, the author explains that the principles that make a great writer can be learned. He shows that revising does not become unnecessary, even as one progresses in the craft. The chapter includes two pages of a heavily written manuscript written by Zinsser himself. The author discourages the use of jargon, arguing that it cheapens your style. Instead, clearness and simplicity are what you should strive for. In part two, Zinsser discusses the various methods of good writing. He first emphasizes unity, and then moves to what I consider the most useful section of the book-a chapter titled "Bits and Pieces." As its name suggests, this chapter comprises all the miscellaneous writing errors noticed by the author. And instead of using "25 columns of type" as Fowler does in his Modern English Usage, Zinsser explains the difference between that and which in a single page. Each section in "Bits and Pieces" is short, but that makes the chapter more useful because it doesn't take too long to read. Zinsser explains each method with grace and humor. The third part, Forms, is the longest and seemed to me at first to be the least useful. There is a chapter about interviewing, and another about writing the memoir. .... Other chapters, such as "Science and Technology," were more directly pertinent to my goals, and the chapter on humor made me laugh out loud. But I came to understand the value of reading about other forms of the craft of writing as well as my own-it showed me that my own focus is just a small part of the whole. I came to appreciate the care put into news stories that use interviews; reading about it was no waste of time. The final section of the book is devoted to attitudes. The author delves into the psychology of the writer when writing. He advises us to not confine ourselves to a certain field because a good writer can write about anything. He uses an example from his own experience, telling how he came to appreciate the work of a respected photographer and painter of birds by writing the man's story. Before he did this, the Zinsser had never really written a similar pieces. Next comes a chapter titled "The Tyranny of the Final Product." It discusses how some people write for a specific magazine or audience, and in doing so never allow their work to develop into something new and exciting. Finally, Zinsser tells us to write as well and with as much enthusiasm as we can-and that our efforts will be rewarded. He ends the final chapter with a powerful message: if we don't write as well as we can, we may disappoint our readers. Before reading On Writing Well, I already had come to value simplicity over complexity and brevity over verbosity. But Zinsser's tips helped me refine my ideas and approach. I also found valuable the explanations of the process a writer takes: what he thinks as he organizes his work, as he uses his voice. Writing is a craft; great writing follows patterns. Zinsser's On Writing Well traces these patterns out, and makes an invaluable guide. It is worthy of your bookcase if you write and want to write more well.
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Summary: If you want to write, you must read this.
Review: I give this book to every high school graduate who is bound for college. While some offer harsh criticism of the author's call for simplicity, it's simplicity that forms the foundation of greater expression. Without this foundation, most writing deteriorates into meaningless drivel. This wonderful book is the foundation to writing that communicates.
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Summary: Excellent, concise and clear.
Review: This book was easy to read and full of useful information, with a comprehensive index. After I finished reading, I radically edited a piece I'd just written. The wordiness was cut out, the point was made clearer and it read more smoothly. The cover says the book is the classic guide to writing non-fiction; though I think the advice applies equally well to fiction. On Writing Well is split into four parts. The first, Principles, deals with the mechanics of writing. Zinsser is insistent that you strip the clutter from your writing. Part two is Methods, advising consistency of tone and tense, and the importance of strong beginnings and endings. Part three looks in detail at types of writing (humour, memoir, science, business etc.). The final part looks at attitudes, how we approach our writing and our unique writing. Zinsser says: "My commodity as a writer, whatever I'm writing, is me. And your commodity is you." Probably the best advice from Zinsser was about rewriting until the piece is as good as you can get it. I wrote the first draft of this review by hand, to force at least one rewrite as I typed it up. What you're reading now is the fourth draft, and it's much better than the first was. This is an excellent book I think everyone can learn from.
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Summary: A Jewel of English Instruction
Review: This is the only book that I've read which made reading and writing non-fiction enjoyable. If it was not for this book, I could not have written my first book nearly as well. It is said that brevity is the mark of wit. William Zinsser exemplifies this perfectly in this book, namely that most adverbs are unnecessary. In one chapter, he has three complete sentences in a row with only two words each, the subject of each understood to be "you." Be content. Be annoyed. Be angry. How can you be slightly content? Slightly angry? The key point of "On Writing Well" is that every word you write which does not do useful work must be removed, thereby improving the efficiency and clarity of your subject. Why say, "at the present time" when you can say "now." Why say, "the fact that" when you can say "because." Do not be afraid to say, "It is raining" instead of, "At the present time we are experiencing precipitation." I love advice like that! There are many other jewels of knowledge which turn a rough sentence into a polished jem. The best chapter in this book is "Bits & Pieces," which does an excellent job of giving the reasoning behind good and bad writing. The chapters on travel, technology and criticism are especially helpful, and the author, in the process, takes away the doubt that can crush an otherwise good writer. Mr. Zinsser does not try to sound profound, but rather does a professional job of "instructing" the reader as a student and collegue. He writes from the presumption that you only have a minimal understanding of English. This book is like having a personal tutor every time you open it. I have read it over at least five times, and I occasionally find what the author was writing between the lines. It is not, by any means, to be compared with a boring textbook. "On Writing Well" was written by a man who truly loves his work, and it shows. I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book. I still use it today. It transformed me from a repetitious, sloppy notetaker into a published author.
Rating:
Summary: Very strong book for the prospective writer
Review: I found Zinsser's book at a used book sale and I immediately snatched it up as an interested writer. Whatever I paid for it was not anywhere near its worth in my opinion. Zinsser's writing style is very fluid, easy to understand, and comes across as one writer to another. He describes the common pitfalls writers go through and provides simple, effective ways to overcome those mistakes. Whenever I start working as a full-time journalist, this book will go on my desk right along with the AP Stylebook and other bibles of journalism. Once in a rare while, I come across writing that is so well done that I just sit and read to enjoy the mastery. This is one of those cases.
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