An essential tool for those who seek to write with the clarity, style, and precision for which The Economist is renowned. This greatly expanded ninth edition gives advice on effective writing, points out common errors and cliches, offers guidance on consistent use of punctuation, abbreviations, and capital letters, and contains a comprehensive range of reference material?covering everything from accountancy ratios and stock market indices to laws of nature and science. There have been more than a half million copies sold worldwide of previous edtions.
Rare is the style guide that a person--even a word person--would want to read cover to cover. But The Economist Style Guide, designed, as the book says, to promote good writing, is so witty and rigorous as to be irresistible. The book consists of three parts. The first is the Economist's style book, which acts as a position paper of sorts in favor of clear, concise, correct usage. The big no-noes listed in the book's introduction are: "Do not be stuffy.... Do not be hectoring or arrogant.... Do not be too pleased with yourself.... Do not be too chatty.... Do not be too didactic.... [And] do not be sloppy." Before even getting to the letter B, we are reminded that aggravate "means make worse, not irritate or annoy"; that an alibi "is the proven fact of being elsewhere, not a false explanation"; and that anarchy "means the complete absence of law or government. It may be harmonious or chaotic."
Part 2 of the book describes many of the spelling, grammar, and usage differences between British and American English. While many Briticisms are familiar to most Americans and vice versa, there are some words--such as homely, bomb, and table--that take on quite different meanings altogether when they cross the Atlantic. And part 3 offers a handy reference to such information as common business abbreviations, accountancy ratios, the Beaufort Scale, commodity-trade classifications, currencies, laws, measures, and stock-market indices. The U.S. reader should be aware (but not scared off by the fact) that some of the style issues addressed are specifically British. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Excellent for non-native speakers:
Writing and speaking are the most difficult skills to learn if you're a non-native speaker. Even though most learners believe that speaking is more useful - and there is some vanity involved in it - it's actually writing that takes precedence in today's connected world. Most business communications today are done through email, and no one wants the recipient to have a laugh at their expense. Grammar, punctuation and vocabulary are important, for sure, but once you have mastered those, why not spend a... more info
A world class standard:
This is a good tool and further reference for anyone who is a multinational executive, it provides insights into local knowledge and local references. The book not intensive in grammar is relevant to the modern day communication in any international field.
The Economist Style Guide: 9th Edition:
I thought there were a few inconsistencies in the manual, but I still highly recommend this concise reference book to anyone who does any writing, editing, or translating into English.
It doesn't get any better than this.:
I speak English as a second language. This style guide has been incredibly useful and informative. I have improved my writing even in other languages thanks to this book. It even is pleasurable reading. In the Guide's own style: Buy it.
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