Rating: 
Summary: This book is one of the most useful books on writing I own.
Review: "Writing with Style -- Conversations on the Art of Writing" is one of the most useful books on writing I've ever owned. I was introduced to this book as required reading in one of my upper level writing courses, and I still use it today. The book is clear and insightful, with just enough humor sprinkled throughout. I especially liked Trimble's way of debunking school ma'am's myths about grammar.If you're looking for a helpful tool for teaching writing, "Writing with Style" will surely be a welcomed addition to your library!
Rating:
Summary: This book is one of the most useful books on writing I own.
Review: "Writing with Style -- Conversations on the Art of Writing" is one of the most useful books on writing I've ever owned. I was introduced to this book as required reading in one of my upper level writing courses, and I still use it today. The book is clear and insightful, with just enough humor sprinkled throughout. I especially liked Trimble's way of debunking school ma'am's myths about grammar.
If you're looking for a helpful tool for teaching writing, "Writing with Style" will surely be a welcomed addition to your library!
Rating:
Summary: Read it over a cup of coffee
Review: As a student of John's, I was amazed by his ability to create an environment where neurotic college students felt completely comfortable sharing their work with very talented peers. As someone who now makes a living stringing words together, I credit him with teaching me to write honestly, conversationally and effectively. Reading his book is a lot like returning to a class: He nurtures, nudges, inspires, excites, and never, ever condescends. And, as always, he's charming as all get-out. I've bought at least half a dozen copies of "Writing with Style"--when I give it to writer friends, I never get it back.
Rating:
Summary: A Must for anyone interested in 'Writing with Style'
Review: Everyone knows about and owns a copy of Strunk and White, but I found this little book by Trimble to be a lot more useful and probably more relevant to writing today. If I were to teach a writing course (unlikely as it sounds), I'd be sure to have all my students buy a copy of this to supplement their writing practice. The highlight of this book, I think, is Trimble's comments on style. He has a great chapter on 'Superstitions' of writing. Still think that you shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition? Not so. The best response to someone who insists that you should is to tell the short anecdote about Churchill, as Trimble does: "When the prime minister--a Nobel Laureate in literature--found that an editor of his memoirs had had the cheek to 'correct' one of his sentences ending in a preposition, he wrote back, 'This is the kind of impertinence up with which I shall not put.'"
Rating:
Summary: I recommend this book to all my students.
Review: For years I've been recommending this book to my students in college English courses. Not just to the freshmen, either! I use it in upper-level classes, and I sometimes urge graduate students to read it. Invariably, they love it and use it in their own freshman classes.
Rating:
Summary: This book taught me how to find my voice
Review: I was fortunate enough to be a student in Dr. Trimble's American Liturature class at the University of Texas in 1989. Before I took his class, my writing was poor and insincere. I did not know how to use my own voice in my work.
I understood the subject matter in his class but had poor grades because my writing was so lousy. After reading his book several times--and finally "getting it" into my thick skull, I improved my writing significantly. I am a more successful person because of this book.
Thank you Dr. Trimble.
Rating:
Summary: Still right on target after almost 30 years (maybe more so).
Review: One cover-to-cover reading over a couple cups of coffee altered my writing style immediately. Trimble practices what he preaches and the book is actually entertaining. It should be required reading - especially for bureaucrats, journalists and academicians.
Rating:
Summary: The best writing guide there is
Review: Reading Trimble's style guide changed my writing forever. In this book, Trimble explains the thought process of a good writer, and he makes his point so well that, since reading it, I have permanently conditioned myself to think in way he describes. This style guide is more an essay on good writing than a reference book. Trimble focuses more on the thought process of a writer than on details. He exhorts us to always consider the audience as we write, and he carefully explains how to do this. He explains the writing process; how to construct the text to best communicate the point. He gives useful advice on common writing tasks like quoting and punctuating. My favorite chapter is where he debunks some myths about the English language; these myths are arbitrary rules that had been thrust upon us by rigid prescriptive grammarians trying to make English more like Latin. I first read an older edition of the book for an English class as high school senior about eight years ago. Reading this book made me excited about writing; Trimble writes in such as way that builds interest. I read the book cover to cover and immediately adopted the practices recommended in it. Unfortunately, in high school, they only lent textbooks, so I had to give it back. About eight years later, I repurchased the new edition of this book. Oddly enough, rereading it was kind of a waste of time, for I had learned the lessons well the first time and they had stuck with me. Trimble hadn't just given me good advice; he had permanently changed me. I recommend that everyone who writes get this book, read it, and do what the book says.
Rating:
Summary: The best writing guide there is
Review: Reading Trimble's style guide changed my writing forever. In this book, Trimble explains the thought process of a good writer, and he makes his point so well that, since reading it, I have permanently conditioned myself to think in way he describes. This style guide is more an essay on good writing than a reference book. Trimble focuses more on the thought process of a writer than on details. He exhorts us to always consider the audience as we write, and he carefully explains how to do this. He explains the writing process; how to construct the text to best communicate the point. He gives useful advice on common writing tasks like quoting and punctuating. My favorite chapter is where he debunks some myths about the English language; these myths are arbitrary rules that had been thrust upon us by rigid prescriptive grammarians trying to make English more like Latin. I first read an older edition of the book for an English class as high school senior about eight years ago. Reading this book made me excited about writing; Trimble writes in such as way that builds interest. I read the book cover to cover and immediately adopted the practices recommended in it. Unfortunately, in high school, they only lent textbooks, so I had to give it back. About eight years later, I repurchased the new edition of this book. Oddly enough, rereading it was kind of a waste of time, for I had learned the lessons well the first time and they had stuck with me. Trimble hadn't just given me good advice; he had permanently changed me. I recommend that everyone who writes get this book, read it, and do what the book says.
Rating:
Summary: A Genuinely Readable, Practical and Fun Writing Book
Review: This book was a required text in a writing class I had as an undergraduate and I actually enjoyed reading it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I kept my copy instead of selling it back to the bookstore as a used copy at the end of the semester and I've used it for a reference ever since. It often comes in handy when I run up against obstacles in getting a writing project done.
As someone else pointed out, it's not as in depth as some other writing books. It is infinitely more readable and enjoyable, though. I know "enjoyable" is not a word that academics like since there seems to be an attitude of "it's only good if it's painful."
This book shows that good style and enjoyment aren't mutually exclusive. In fact it advises to turn your views and resources to best account to produce writing you'll be proud of. It also gives much more practical and understandable advice for inexperienced writers than anything else I've read.
This book should be a required yearly read for academic writers everywhere. It seems that many have forgotten the reason that they're writing--to communicate effectively--not simply to show off and get a publication under their belt.
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