The Economist Style Guide - Couverture rigide

The Economist

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1861972091 ISBN 13 : 9781861972095

Editeur : Economist Books, 2000

Synopsis

Gives advice on writing, points out common errors and cliches, offers guidance on consistent use of punctuation, abbreviations and capital letters, and contains a range of reference material - covering everything from accountancy ratios and stock market indices to laws of nature and science.

A propos du livre

Back Cover copy

An authoritative reference on clear, concise writing

Witty, concise, and enlightening, The Economist Style Guide is an authoritative resource for all your written communications. Based on the style guide used by the writers for the renowned international business journal acclaimed for its crisp, clear writing, this practical guide offers unerring guidance on grammar, usage, and style in business communications.

Providing sage advice on writing in general ("Use the language of everyday speech"; "Long paragraphs, like long sentences, confuse the reader"; "Don't overdo the use of don't, isn't, can't, won't, etc."), the Guide clarifies such perpetual questions as: compare with (emphasizes differences) and compare to (similarities) different---used with from, not to or than affect (to have an influence on) and effect (to accomplish)

There's also invaluable information on international business terms and abbreviations, political and geographical facts, units of measurement, currencies, trade classifications, differences between American and British English, and much more.

In today's high-speed business environment, the ability to communicate clearly, accurately, and concisely is essential to professional success. The Economist Style Guide has become the reference of choice for businesspeople everywhere who need practical, authoritative advice on how to improve their written communications.

Developed from the style guide used by those who work for The Economist--the international business journal renowned for its writing excellence--this handy resource provides easily accessible answers to the numerous questions of usage, grammar, and style that frequently arise in the course of a business day.

Offering invaluable guidance on the principles of good writing, The Economist Style Guide defines commonly misused words and expressions, and explains the correct use of punctuation, abbreviations, capital letters, and more --all illustrated with an abundance of amusing examples.

As an aid to those engaged in international business, the Guide supplies a wealth of handy reference material on such areas as units of measurement, political and geographical terms, currencies, trade classifications, differences between American and British English, and much more.

Whether you are dashing off a quick e-mail message or preparing a formal report, The Economist Style Guide will help you hone your language skills and sharpen all your business communications. It is an indispensable aid to clarity and precision that will prove its value again and again as the reference book you'll keep within reach whenever you write.

Review

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

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Economist Books
• Date d'édition: 2000
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1861972091
• ISBN 13: 9781861972095
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 160
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible