Book: "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser

Pages: 336

For: Anyone who wants to improve their writing whether they’re an engineer, businessman, journalist, or editor

Lesson: Learn how to write clearly and concisely from a long-time journalist and professor of writing

Zinsser worked at The New York Tribune and at Yale where he taught students how to write. By the end of his career, he had written 15 books.

The first part of the book begins by teaching the principles of good writing. Just like in sports, before you want to play the game, you must learn the rules to it. The principles include learning how to make your writing simple, free of clutter, and which words you should use and avoid.

In part two of the book, Zinsser shares lessons on writing in unity, having a good lead and ending, and writing with proper grammar and punctuation. In the last part of the book, Zinsser gives advice on how to find your voice, face the fear and enjoyment of being a writer, and what it means to be a nonfiction writer.

Get the book here.

1) "The Art of War for Writers" by James Bell