Rating: 
Summary: Confused Attempt
Review: A lot of people like this book and find it extremely helpful. Williams does explore some good principles and is ambitious in his attempt to define "style". However, I found Williams' writing to be confused. At the beginning of one "lesson" early in the book he claims to not want to explore writing and grammar in terms of "rules", but rather principles, yet 3 pages later (and throughout the rest of the book) he belabours us with rules and check marks next to "good" sentences. His attempt at an artistic, ethereal exploration of style only reveals and emphasizes moreso that there are rules of writing and grammar. I found "Technical Writing Style" (Dan Jones) a much better text with comprehensive exercises for mastering style (with any prose writing (technical or not).
Rating:
Summary: Confused Attempt
Review: A lot of people like this book and find it extremely helpful. Williams does explore some good principles and is ambitious in his attempt to define "style". However, I found Williams' writing to be confused. At the beginning of one "lesson" early in the book he claims to not want to explore writing and grammar in terms of "rules", but rather principles, yet 3 pages later (and throughout the rest of the book) he belabours us with rules and check marks next to "good" sentences. His attempt at an artistic, ethereal exploration of style only reveals and emphasizes moreso that there are rules of writing and grammar. I found "Technical Writing Style" (Dan Jones) a much better text with comprehensive exercises for mastering style (with any prose writing (technical or not).
Rating: 
Summary: From chaos to clarity
Review: After reading other books on how to organize a technical document, I read this one on how to make my ideas more clear. My sentences and paragraphs now say what I really mean - before my writing was "fuzzy" and my point was unintentionally hidden. The book helps me think clearly, and it helps me understand other's writing more clearly - an unexpected result. The book does not tell me how I should write. It provides nifty techniques on how to quickly revise my writing for greater clarity. Alos, its the first book that explains just what "clarity" is. Worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: From chaos to clarity
Review: After reading other books on how to organize a technical document, I read this one on how to make my writing more clear. My writing was "fuzzy" and my point was unintentionally hidden, and now, my sentences and paragraphs now say what I really mean. The lessons in this book help me think clearly - an unexpected result. The book does not dictate how I should write. It provides nifty techniques on how to quickly revise my writing for greater clarity. Also, its the first book that explains just what "clarity" is. Worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Stunningly achieves its purpose
Review: Although I was never a bad writer, the basis of clear, concise writing had always eluded me. Thanks to this book, I was able to learn the mechanics behind good writing im my last year of high school. Dr. William's book was used in my Advanced Placement Literature class. The little tome showed us that clear writing was not an abstract, metaphysical talent that was divinely bestowed upon only the lucky few. It was, in some ways, an equalizer... I would recommend this book without reservation. I only wish someone had introduced it to me at the beginning of high school.
Rating:
Summary: For Writers Only
Review: I am an experienced freelance writer with dozens of articles and four books under my belt. Yet I was put off by the two opening chapters of this book because they jumped into details so quickly. I really got turned on when I hit Part Two, and continued to learn, learn, learn from every chapter thereafter. I thought the Appendix: Punctuation an extremely valuable section. This book is too complicated for beginning writers. But for those of us wanting to hone our skills, wanting to write with clarity and grace, this book is for us. An "o" is missing from the word "to" on page 265, in the paragraph titled "Interruptions", last word in line 6.
Rating:
Summary: It's like a favorite teacher
Review: I am an independent corporate trainer who teaches people to write better at work. When my students ask me for good books to learn even more, this is the first book I mention. I tell them, "If you are a good writer and you want to be a very good writer, get this book." I also tell them several other things about the book. First, it is not a book of lists like the excellent resource, The Elements of Style. Instead, it's a challenging textbook that is informative and compelling from beginning to end. Second, it teaches a novel way to keep readers interested in what you are writing. Basically it's narrative, or story telling, within each sentence. Third, it provides guidance on advanced topics such as emphasis, elegance, and ethics. Topics like these might seem esoteric or irrelevant, but the author makes them easy to understand and shows why they are useful, and he does it in a way that is fun to read. This book is one of those few textbooks that you will remember the same way you remember that favorite teacher. Like that teacher, it brought you to a new level of knowledge, and it did it with humor and style. I rated this book 5 stars because I think it is superior in all categories for a textbook: useful content, insightful author, clear exposition, skillful publishing, and reasonable price.
Rating:
Summary: It's like a favorite teacher
Review: I am an independent corporate trainer who teaches people to write better at work. When my students ask me for good books to learn even more, this is the first book I mention. I tell them, "If you are a good writer and you want to be a very good writer, get this book." I also tell them several other things about the book. First, it is not a book of lists like the excellent resource, The Elements of Style. Instead, it's a challenging textbook that is informative and compelling from beginning to end. Second, it teaches a novel way to keep readers interested in what you are writing. Basically it's narrative, or story telling, within each sentence. Third, it provides guidance on advanced topics such as emphasis, elegance, and ethics. Topics like these might seem esoteric or irrelevant, but the author makes them easy to understand and shows why they are useful, and he does it in a way that is fun to read. This book is one of those few textbooks that you will remember the same way you remember that favorite teacher. Like that teacher, it brought you to a new level of knowledge, and it did it with humor and style. I rated this book 5 stars because I think it is superior in all categories for a textbook: useful content, insightful author, clear exposition, skillful publishing, and reasonable price.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! But . . . .
Review: I dislike writing disparagingly of a book that has much to commend it. Those looking for a book to help formulate and construct an argument, idea, or story will NOT find it here. This book, by the author's admission, presupposes an existent text that needs rewriting... For authors wanting to make their existent manuscripts more alive and active, Williams' book makes a nice complement. The author observes that his book is meant to help the writer "rewrite" what is already written with the aid of numerous amorphous rules. Such things as writing in the present tense and in active form are pervasively recommended. The use of clauses, including restrictive and non-restrictive clauses, helps the author amend, clarify, and refine. All these admonitions are generally useful. Indeed, many of his suggestions may help writers overcome "writer's block," and get the story underway. Whenever I encounter a mental block, I have found this book useful in penetrating the veil of confusion and obfuscation. But Williams' approach to grammar and syntax is often flippant. While his advice to avoid nominalizations is to be approved, some kinds of writing simply cannot avoid it without diminuition of either the argument or the author or both. Another striking example of Williams' problem is the use of commas in serializations: Strunk and White, together with every dictionary containing a section on the use of commas, recommends the use of a comma after a serial of elements and before the conjunction; Williams thinks this rule unnecessary. The ultimate comma is optional. Like so many of Williams' opinions, rules are merely options, left to the author's discretion in their use. BUNK! Grammatical and syntactical devices, like rewriting, go to the very heart of clarity and elegance. The breach of protocols (with his examples by great writers) does not give license to every future writer to do likewise. Good grammar and syntax are every bit as important to clarity and grace, as are Williams' insistence to write actively and avoid the passive.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest influence on my writing style
Review: I have always enjoyed writing and was born with a natural talent for it, but I didn't realize how much better my writing could be until I worked through Joseph Williams' "Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace" in one of my technical writing courses. Williams' book helped me to see the mistakes I was making in my writing, and with careful practice, my writing has improved a great deal. I am currently a professional writer, and my only regret is that I borrowed the book rather than buying it for my course! Now I wish I had my own copy to reference.
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