The Art of Plain Talk

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1. schappimDec 2022
   1. On Writing Well by William Zinsser

   2. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss

   3. The Elements of Style by Strunk & White

   4. The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker

   5. The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

   6. Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark

   7. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

   8. The Art of Plain Talk by Rudolf Flesch

   9. A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker

   10. Writing Science by Joshua Schimel

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2. gdubsJan 2021
   This reads like it’s straight from “The Art of Plain Talk”, 1946. [1]

   I picked up that book over a decade ago, and it had a big effect on the way I write. There’s a temptation to use big words to sound more professional. Part of it is understanding your audience. But even when speaking to a crowd that can grasp the meaning of fancier language, you risk clouding your message.

   Feynman understood this. A big part of his brilliance was taking hard ideas and making them simple.

   My first real introduction to the idea of writing with simple, clear sentences came from Cliff Stoll. People thought the Cuckoo’s Egg was ghostwritten. In Silicon Snake Oil he shared thoughts on what made his writing so enjoyable. What I remember most is simplicity. And short sentences.

   1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1862302.Art_of_Plain_Tal...

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3. gdubsOct 2014
   If you're interested in learning how to write clearly, check out "The Art of Plain Talk". [1]

   It's dated – from the 1950's I think – but shows how to express ideas with clear, direct language. A lot of it has to do with using verbs as much as possible and cutting down on adjectives.

   Similarly, Hemingway has always inspired me.

   Reading, in general, is very helpful. Read widely, on many subjects. Find authors whose 'voice' you like, and emulate it in your own writing. Stretch yourself with publications like The New Yorker, and Harper's.

   1: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Plain-Talk-rudolf-flesch/dp/002046...

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4. gdubsMar 2012
   I get you, but I just think that prerequisite knowledge is often not going to be chronologically published.

   I was thinking along the lines of the Netflix recommendation engine based on topics covered in a text and the overall 'grade level' of the book. There's been some good work done in the latter, eg "The Art of Plain Talk" which has a system for analyzing the grade level of a given piece of writing.

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