Better Handwriting (Teach Yourself Series)

Rating:
Summary: needs more basic letter formation examples.
Review: I bought the book last night and spent over an hour working on the exercises before going to bed. This morning I have spent two hours working on the exercises and the time just flew by. Despite being well-educated (possibly over-educated) I have always written slowly and not particularly legibly. In the space of a few hours I have changed my writing position and pen-hold and have learned to make the simple strokes necessary for clear, legible and speedy writing. The book was a surprise and a delight and I only wish I had come across it in 1984 when it was first published or that it had been around when I was at school.

I searched the Internet on a whim to see if I could find Rosemary Sassoon in order to thank her. That job has been made incredibly easy. I would urge anyone who has the slightest interest in improving their handwriting to get the book without delay. At a fraction under £7, it must be the bargain of the century. In a couple of hours and a few easy lessons it has changed what was a hard, painful slog for me into a process of joy and discovery. The book didn't promise instant results but it has certainly produced them. If I had known it existed I would surely have bought it sooner and consider myself lucky to have found it at all.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to read on how to write
Review: I found the book very technical and hard to penetrate, I just wanted to get down to the bottom line of how to improve handwriting, with practical guidelines, and this book wasn't very helpful.

Rating:
Summary: Common sense advice leads to quick improvement.
Review: I have always reveled in my eccentric handwriting. As my academic career progressed, I was writing less and less for other people, mostly just class notes for myself, and I made little attempt to write legibly. I was the only one who could read my increasingly "individual" penmanship unless I made a great effort to write clearly. Finally, though, I had trouble puzzling out my own handwriting at times, and I realized something had to be done. I had come to admire those with clear handwriting, and I wanted to develop a quick, readable hand.

This book agrees with advice I've found in several sources: the italic alphabet is attractive and easy to write, the distinction between printing and handwriting is artificial, and the torturous cursive script we're taught in elementary school does most students more harm than good. Though the book does not require strict adherence to their italic model, I like it quite a bit, and I'm happy to integrate it into my own hand.

Within minutes of beginning the simplest exercises I realized I'd been holding the pen wrong for as long as I can remember! Changing my grip required some awkward retraining, but once I adapted I realized that, for me, the traditional grip lends itself to more natural and comfortable motions, and my fountain pens work better, too! If it doesn't work for you, though, another grip is discussed.

This is an excellent example of how the book works. It is not about changing your writing to the one correct way. It shows you how to experiment to find the best way for you personally to write. This doesn't mean your handwriting will improve without any effort on your part, but I've found the exercises relaxing, almost meditative. It's difficult to face each new challenge, fumbling to find a way to form the letters properly, but once I've found the way and practice it for a few half-hour sessions, the new method appears in my casual handwriting. I'm very pleased by the increase in the legibility and attractiveness of my handwriting. I don't have to concentrate anymore to write better; with practice my penmanship has improved naturally.

My only problem with the book is that it's a little too vague. I like being able to choose the exercises most relevant to my own writing problems, but some more advice on how to practice would be nice, like "Do one page of Exercise A, then 15 lines of Exercise L, then go on to Exercise M for ten minutes." I realize that different writers will have different needs, but I'm not sure sometimes if I'm doing too little of one thing and not enough of another--though I'm getting a better feel for that as I go along.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels their handwriting needs improvement. Better handwriting will make life easier in a lot of ways!

Rating:
Summary: Better Handwriting
Review: I ordered this book to improve my penmanship. The results were no less than wonderful. In less than 3 days my writing had improve tremendously. What I like most about this book, along with the price of course, is the options that it gives you in writing techniques. I also liked that the author gives an understanding of why one may have difficulty in with their writing in the first place. I generally felt that good penmanship reflected a person who was deliberate and careful. This book shows that there is more than attitude involved here, there are basic mechanics to good penmanship that we were not shown in grade school. Great book to refer to anyone who is penmanly- challenged.

Rating:
Summary: Really had an impact
Review: I recently started collecting fountain pens. To do my collection justice I needed to improve my handwriting. This book did more than teach me how to write better, it taught me to discover and create a personal character in my writing. The practice sessions returned a sense of control immediately. For the first time in my life I actually got complements on my penmanship. I continue to tweek things here and there and my fountain pens are most appreciative.

Rating:
Summary: Really had an impact
Review: I recently started collecting fountain pens. To do my collection justice I needed to improve my handwriting. This book did more than teach me how to write better, it taught me to discover and create a personal character in my writing. The practice sessions returned a sense of control immediately. For the first time in my life I actually got complements on my penmanship. I continue to tweek things here and there and my fountain pens are most appreciative.