Adios, Strunk and White, by Gary and Glynis Hoffman
There are three chapters in this marvellous book: Style, Form, and Critical Thought and Research. After the first column of the Table of Contents, it gets interesting. The sub-chapters for Style are Flow, Pause, Fusion, Opt and Scrub. Form contains Time Warping, Encircling, Layering and Bursting. Critical Thought and Research involves Peel, Filter and Press.
I suppose if the titles don’t amuse you, you’re not likely to be interested in the rest of the book. This book is about writing well, and it doesn’t deal with the basics. These are the things you might consider after you’ve finished writing your paper, when you’re ready to polish it into something beautiful and gleaming.
My favourite sub-chapter is Scrub. Within Scrub, you can choose Facial Pack, Metal Mask or War Paint. Scrub is about purging your writing of euphemism, offensive language, and weak or indirect writing; you can choose your preferred level of attack. (There are papers when a Facial Pack will be sufficient, but other occasions warrant full-on War Paint. Being of obsessive personality, I do like the idea of War Paint.)
Are you ready to give up on formulaic writing, ready to branch out into brilliant thought and communication? This book is likely to be on every library shelf, waiting for you to pick it up. You might even find it in a second-hand store. Personally, I believe it’s worth every penny, even if you have to buy it new.
Tags: Adios Strunk and White, Gary Hoffman, Glynis Hoffman, precise writing style, resources, standing out, style