Best Picks Archives

If You Are a Writer or an Editor, You Need This Book

In an earlier post, I promised to review Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style “in a few days.” That was more than three weeks ago. I’ve been savoring the book, making notes on every chapter. I am now ready to tell… continue reading

Recommended Book: Unleash the Power of Storytelling

I expect a book on communication—which is what storytelling is—to teach me something new or remind me of truths I had better not forget. Rob Biesenbach’s Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, Get Results surpassed my expectations, and I am happy to… continue reading

Review: Grammarly’s Spelling and Grammar Checker

As a writing expert who relies on Microsoft’s grammar and spelling checker to flag what I don’t see, I was eager to test Grammarly’s power to find additional errors. I signed up for the premium version and tested it to the max. I wanted to… continue reading

Great Book for Copyeditors and Others: The African Svelte

I love it when a book on language teaches me a lesson. The African Svelte: Ingenious Misspellings That Make Surprising Sense, a guide by Daniel Menaker filled with humorous, elegant word errors, taught me that I’d better slow down and think if I want to… continue reading

Review: An Excellent College Textbook

College instructors sometimes ask me to recommend a text to use in their business writing classes. Until now, I haven't had a satisfactory answer. But I am pleased to recommend Business Writing Scenarios: Writing From the Inside, by Jon R. Ramsey, published in February by Bedford/St. Martin's… continue reading

New Resource for College Instructors

I’m pleased to announce a complete new communications curriculum for college instructors. The curriculum works as a standalone course or as a supplement to business writing classes. The course, Business Writing That Builds Relationships, developed out of my long-standing interest in diplomatic, relationship-building messages at work. The comprehensive… continue reading

Do You Like This Caterer’s Messaging?

If you are like many business people, you have attended meetings, conferences, and training programs that include a catered lunch. Can you remember the name of any of the caterers? Do you remember anything that would help you find the caterer if you wanted to… continue reading

Book Review: Confessions of a Comma Queen

There is a lot to like in Mary Norris’s Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen. If you live and breathe the world of publishing, writing, or editing, you will enjoy Norris’s stories about the quirky way things are at The New Yorker,… continue reading

Book Review: Everybody Needs This Book

Do you write on the job? If yes, you need Ann Handley's Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content. It’s the best book on creative business communication I have read since Chip and Dan Heath's Made to Stick. As Handley writes, "If you… continue reading

Book Review: Fresh Thoughts on Clichés

Before you discount all clichés as weak, lazy writing, consider a few ideas from Orin Hargraves' new book, It's Been Said Before: A Guide to the Use and Abuse of Clichés (Oxford University Press, 229 pages, $24.95 in hardcover). I recommend the book for writers, editors,… continue reading