Business Writing for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: Not the answers you need
Review: Alas, if only it were this simple really. This text purports to offer expert advice on letters, proposals, presentations, and more. It does deliver average tried and true tricks but whether this advice is "expert" is debatable. The information on writing memos and letters provides generally useful advice about white space, headings, and using simpler words.

But the advice provided on more in-depth issues, such as cutting the length of sentences, is limited. For instance, to cut the length of sentences, one is to look for compound sentences (find the conjunctions), and break the sentences into components. More useful advice about collapsing ideas into dependent clauses or eliminating redundancy is not discussed in detail or illustrated.

The advice about using a variety of fonts and boxes could cause inexperienced writers to go astray and litter documents with visual clutter that will distract from the message. Worse is the lack of any real solid advice on using graphs and charts. The examples are cluttered and offer some of the worst elements of visual design such as hard-to-follow legends, pie charts that consume paper and ink but yield little information, and a hopelessly confusing figure. A suggestion to use "a strategically placed red bar" runs counter to business etiquette of remembering that quite a few people suffer from some degree of color blindness.

One of the better parts of the book, Enlightening Letters, does provide easy to adapt examples of simple business letters intended to help solve simple problems. Likewise the chapters on proposals and reports will help the neophyte up to a point.

Still, there is enough OK advice scattered through the book to make it a useful low-level introduction to business writing. Keep in mind that all corporate cultures vary, too, and assessing what is acceptable in your workplace will still be essential. My advice is to keep this book in your desk drawer when needed or read it at home. You'll learn more by examining the work of the seasoned pros down the hall and picking their brains over lunch (and consider picking up the tab).

Rating:
Summary: Of immense practical help to people in business today
Review: In writing this dummy's guide to business writing, the author has given us readers the verbal tools with which to build our careers with confidence and competence. It provides expert advice and loads of practical tips on writing effective letters, memos, reports, proposals, presentations and more.

Of special interest are the three whole chapters devoted to writing eloquent e-mails and on using proper Netiquette, subjects not covered in most other books on business writing available in the market today.

This book is actually serves two purposes for it not only provides help on business communications that is applicable to any language, it also is a guide to the correct usage of the English language, of course, with particular reference to business usage. Of immense practical help are the four Appendices on punctuation, grammar, abbreviations and spelling. While English spelling can be quite a headache, the simple rules provided do help you make sense of the numerous variations in English spelling.

This book is highly recommended for people in business today who intend to be the leaders in business tomorrow as it is useful to a spectrum of readers from large company managers to fresh graduates just entering the business world. It has an excellent blend of practical basics, advanced concepts, and skilled insight that will make them better communicators.

Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts, MA is a marketing communications specialist, training consultant and author of more than a dozen books.

Among other things, Azlan Adnan, MA is a tutor at Excel Tuition Centre where he teaches English to secondary school students and Business English to adults. He previously taught Business Communications at the School of Management, Royal Holloway College, University of London. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management from the Westminster Business School in London. He may be contacted at Tel: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Very practical, very helpful & easy to use...
Review: True to its title & carrying name, the book is really made easy - user friendly - for those people who find instructional materials too tedious & boring. The book's layout easily catches the readers' attention by using those brief catch-up tips. It does not only cover the standard letter writing but also electronic etiquettes rather e-tiquette, which most of us often overlook in this modern stage of technology.

I am not saying you quit reading the 'real' instructional brochures/books/materials but this book supports them all -- made easy --- very complementary.