brenticus reviewed The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
Sensible advice
4 stars
Most of the book is dedicated to the "classic style" of prose, which emphasizes writing in order to be understood. These sections break down the components of writing so that Pinker can highlight common problems and how to think about writing in a general sense. They are very helpful.
The last chapter focuses on a variety of grammatical concerns that are either brought up by sticklers or are concerns of Pinker's (or both). This chapter has some gems, but it requires wading through a lot of cruft to find them. Sometimes the examples provided are helpful; sometimes they warrant skipping. Some gripes are worth discussion; some aren't, even in Pinker's opinion. It's a weaker chapter than the others, at least.
If you have an interest in English composition this is a good read, but it is written with a bit of an assumption that you are already familiar with some …
Most of the book is dedicated to the "classic style" of prose, which emphasizes writing in order to be understood. These sections break down the components of writing so that Pinker can highlight common problems and how to think about writing in a general sense. They are very helpful.
The last chapter focuses on a variety of grammatical concerns that are either brought up by sticklers or are concerns of Pinker's (or both). This chapter has some gems, but it requires wading through a lot of cruft to find them. Sometimes the examples provided are helpful; sometimes they warrant skipping. Some gripes are worth discussion; some aren't, even in Pinker's opinion. It's a weaker chapter than the others, at least.
If you have an interest in English composition this is a good read, but it is written with a bit of an assumption that you are already familiar with some fairly obscure rules and you have already read more specific style guides. Not exactly an introductory read.