Writing with Precision: How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly Be Misunderstood

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"If you write for a living," says Jefferson D. Bates in Writing with Precision, "this book is probably not for you." But if what you do for a living involves writing, then this book can help you do so "clearly, concisely, and PRECISELY." Bates is fond of italics, boldface, CAPS, exclamations!, quirky footnotes, and the word crotchet. He's over 80. He's been editorial director of the U.S. Air Force's Effective Writing Program and a chief speechwriter for NASA. The cornerstone of his campaign is the elimination of bureaucratese and jargon. Writing with Precision, originally published in 1978, is divided into four parts: writing (mainly letters, memos, instructions, regulations, and reports), editing (mostly copyediting), usage, and exercises. There is a definite personality behind this readable, conversational book. It's mostly updated, though a little checking by Bates could have prevented the reference to some books as being "probably out of print now."

Book Description

One of the most popular and respected style guides ever written, this handbook by a seasoned writer with more than forty years of experience offers ten principles and seven axioms that professional writers use to express their thoughts clearly and effectively. This latest edition is expanded to include an extensive glossary of American idiomatic expressions, developed to assist users from other backgrounds and cultures; new chapters with tips on little-known facts of usage, such as compound words, hyphenation, numeration, and capitalization; and explanations of technical problems encountered in writing and editing with tips and exercises to help solve them. For anyone faced with the challenges of written English, Writing with Precision can help readers write more clearly, more effectively, and more precisely than they ever have.

Previous editions of Writing with Precision have been selected by the Writer's Digest, McMillan, Fortune, and Reader's Digest book clubs.

Customer Reviews:

Precisely Right.......2006-11-16

Excellent writing guide for the professional who is not necessarily a professional writer, but must write on the job frequently to occasionally. The material, which could have been a little dry and boring, is kept lively by the author's personal anecdotes and witty asides. This writing guide is more complicated than Strunk and White's "Elements of Style", and I don't recommend it for the beginner. Consider adding "Writing with Precision" as the next level of enhancement after reading "Elements of Style" and William Zinsser's "On Writing Well".

Straight to the point.......2006-08-20

Although english is a second language for me, I was looking for a book to improve my writing. I found that in this book and more: tips to be understood, to communicate effectively and to write with correct grammar. This author, a man with years of experience, has written a great book to enjoy and learn.

Thank you Mr. Jefferson Bates.......2000-09-10

I picked up this book because I was tired of never knowing for sure what the rules are when it comes to writing and grammer. I was surprised at how easy a read this book was. Mr. Bates has a true knack (or skill) of making a somewhat boring subject quite interesting indeed. The more I read, the more I wished I could just sit down and talk to this man in person. A very interesting read by a very interesting author. If you are a new writer looking for some guidence, or an old hack who has forgotten some of the basics, then this is a great place to start.

Writing with Precision How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly be Misunderstood

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Writing with Precision How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly be Misunderstood

Manufacturer: Acropolis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I8WFRA

Writing with Precision: How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly be Misunderstood: Zero Base Gobbledygook

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Writing with Precision: How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly be Misunderstood: Zero Base Gobbledygook

Manufacturer: Acropolis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E3H5QK

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Writing with Precision: How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly Be Misunderstood
Jefferson D. Bates
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ6LA0

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Writing with Precision: How to Write So That You Cannot Possibly Be Misunderstood
Jefferson D. Bates
Manufacturer: Acropolis Books (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Rhetoric | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This volume provides material that will allow a fresh evaluation of Grant’s activities following Appomattox.

In April Grant commanded an army of more than 1,000,000 men maintained at enormous cost. Disbanding this army took priority. By mid-July, more than two-thirds of the volunteers had been mustered out.

Grant as peacemaker exerted his power to protect his former adversaries. He opposed prosecuting Southern military leaders, including Robert E. Lee and others who had been indicted for treason. The South had to accept defeat, but Grant was no believer in a Carthaginian peace.

Two military tasks remained. Grant sent his two most trusted subordinates to solve these problems: Major General Philip H. Sheridan to pressure the French in Mexico and Major General William T. Sherman to keep settlers and Indians apart.

During the summer, Grant drafted his report on the last year of the war. The style as well as the substance of the report attracted widespread attention. It also made clear Grant’s mastery of events during that terrible year.

Customer Reviews:

The Real U.S. Grant.......2005-05-25

The twenty-six (and counting!) volumes comprising all the known extant writings of Ulysses Grant are indeed a remarkable example of published primary source material. While every volume contains much material that is admittedly of trivial importance to even the most rabid Grant scholar, each book in this series also contains fascinating nuggets of information not found anywhere else. Anyone with even a casual interest in USG is sure to discover something worth reading in every volume. In gathering together not only all of Grant's known correspondence, but relevant peripheral documents, the editors of this series are doing a truly Herculean job and deserve great commendation.

I have only a few quibbles with the series. The first involves something over which the editors had no control. I refer to the fact that, in the first few volumes (particularly Volume One,) Grant's descendants insisted that certain passages in Grant's letters to his fiancee-turned-wife Julia Dent that had been crossed out (either by Julia or other family members) not be published. This idiotic decision is not only extremely frustrating for the reader, but, ironically, damaging to Grant himself. By all accounts, the deleted passages contain nothing that could be considered detrimental to Grant's good name, but by leaving them out, these descendants unwittingly gave the impression that there was something to hide. Hopefully, in an "Appendix" volume at the end of the series, the editors will be sporting enough to include whatever deleted passages can be transcribed, and the series will at last be considered complete.

My other complaints about this series are more minor. While each volume contains copious, and frequently illuminating, footnotes, the editors occasionally fail to provide enough context. That is to say, a brief, undetailed letter of Grant's will frequently be followed by several pages of footnotes providing other letters and documents on the same subject, without giving much information explaining what, exactly, it all meant. The reader who is not already fully informed on the subject being addressed is sometimes left feeling confused about what exactly is being discussed, and what its relevance may have been.

Another drawback is, simply, the price. While these books are certainly handsomely--and obviously expensively--printed and bound, those of us who study history as a hobby rather than as a profession could wish for editions that were more cheaply done, and thus more affordable. Unless you are fortunate enough to have access to a good academic library, these extremely expensive (even when you buy second-hand) volumes are simply out-of-reach for many people. That's a great pity, because in these books is an "insider's view" of Grant that does not fully come across in any regular biography.

A masterful achievement.......2000-07-03

"The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant" is a project begun in 1962 for the purpose of publishing all the known letters written by Ulysses S. Grant. Volume one was published in 1967 and there are now twenty-four volumes in the series. People who follow Grant's career are aware of the inestimable value of this project. The Papers contain all known correspondence written by Grant and letters received by him. The editing of the series is unparalleled and the volumes represent primary source material at its apex.

Those who believe Grant was a "drunkard" or a "butcher" should read his own words, which show Grant's humor, pathos and unique personality. Masterfully edited by John Y. Simon, these volumes are a "must have" for anyone with an interest in U.S. Grant as a general, a politician and as a man

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THE PAPERS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT, VOLUME 15: MAY 1-DECEMBER 31, 1865. Edited by John Y. Simon.
Ulysses S. Grant
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois Univ. Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ND31PU

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THE PAPERS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT. VOLUME 15: MAY 1 - DECEMBER 31, 1865.
J. (ed.) Simon
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WQI8CY

Book Description

Contributors explore the impact of an expanding market on economic and social institutions, household arrangements, political practice and ideology, and cultural patterns.

The Market Revolution in America: Social, Political, and Religious Expressions, 1800-1880

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The Market Revolution in America: Social, Political, and Religious Expressions, 1800-1880

Manufacturer: University Press of Virginia, 1996
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I8WOYY

Book Description

The history of rock'n'roll and rhythm and blues is filled with inspiring characters.But no story in popular music is more poignant and more triumphant than that of Johnny Bragg and his all-convict singing group, the Prisonaires.As a teenager in the mid-1940s, Bragg was sentenced to six life terms in the Tennessee State Prison.His only pleasure, the only expressive outlet for his spirit, was singing. Then came a miracle.In 1953, a young, progressive governor of Tennessee, Frank Clement, heard Bragg's vocal quintet.He was deeply impressed with their talent, but even more, he recognized that these were good men who might be saved.And so for years he showcased Bragg and the Prisonaires at state events at the governor's mansion.There they met President Truman, Senator Lyndon Johnson, and countless celebrity entertainers. Eventually, the Prisonaires were signed by a young, white, maverick record producer.Sam Phillips of Sun Records would ultimately be responsible for the careers of such major stars as Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and others.He will remain best know, however, for his discovery of Elvis Presley.It is a significant footnote to music history that Bragg and Elvis became friends through Phillips and remained so ever after. Bragg's claim to glory, however, lies not in the twenty-two tracks he cut with his group, but in his authorship of the hit "Just Walkin' in the Rain," recorded by the '50s pop legend Johnnie Ray."Just Walkin'" was one of the bestselling singles of the decade. At the center of a remarkable cast of characters is Bragg, whose faith and persistence testify eloquently to the power of the human spirit.Bragg is alive and well today in his mid-'70s.He still possesses the sweet tenor voice that made him an extraordinary artist fifty years ago. In telling this story, music historian Jay Warner gives us a unique insight into the politics and society of the pre-Civil Rights era South, introduces us to a host of extraordinary human beings, and celebrates a great American singing group.

Customer Reviews:

AMAZING STORY OF JOHNNY BRAGG.......2007-07-25

Johnny Bragg was wrongly accused of rape.While in jail he was wrongly
accused of 4 more rapes.The original charge was dropped, when girl
admitted she lied.he was sentenced to 4 life sentences. Wound up in
Tenn. State Prison.Thanks to the liberal polocies of GOV.Frank Clement,
Johnny & his group ( The Prisonaires )were allowed to leave the prison
to record at Sun Studios and perform at various shows.
Johnny Bragg wrote and recorded " JUST WALKIN' IN THE RAIN. "
Most people think that Johnny Ray was the first to record this song.
Believe It or not, he was paroled twice.

A story of determination..........2004-05-04

I picked this book up as an assignment for my Popular American Music class, but have found a tremendous amount of admiration for a man who made lemonade out of lemons. I have learned a lot about a man who led a group of men to great achievements despite their lack of freedom and limited resources. I definitely recommend this to anyone who appreciates learning about a musician who truly sang for his freedom.

The story of an amazing, graced life.......2001-06-15

"Just Walkin' In the Rain" - the story of an amazing, graced life

Not often can a story about a rock and roll legend be called 'inspirational'. The tragedy of rock genius thrown into the propellers spans the decades from Johnny Act to Kurt Cobain. But the story of Johnny Bragg is, indeed, one that offers hope for all, no matter where life has taken you. And it's told wonderfully by rock historian Jay Warner in his new book, "Just Walkin' In The Rain", named after the Johnny Ray hit written by Bragg.

With a false accusation of rape made by a girlfriend which led to convictions on six 99 year sentences, surviving to near middle age might have been more than he could have expected. (Bragg was a poor Black man fighting the Tennessee Judicial System in the 50's.) Instead, his musical ability brought him together with an inmate singing group which he would rename "The Prisonaires". His talent brought a polish to the group's sound. Their work led Governor Frank Clement ( a Southern liberal Democrat, of all things) to become the group's greatest advocate (and Bragg's personal patron saint) in order to prove that all men, regardless of their past, were capable of redemption. And the Governor's effort to showcase the group at numerous state functions led to radio appearances and, ultimately, a career as hit recording artists...and encounters with everyone from Elvis to Margaret Truman...all while in prison.

Bragg's story is a wild ride that Warner details with expertise and love. Everytime that it looks like Bragg has been dealt nothing but 3's and 8's, an ace or two always seems to wind up in his hand, so continually does a Divine hand appear to be intervening in his life.

To be sure, the racial climate of the South at that time and Bragg's own worst tendencies keep this from having a Frank Capra ending. Still, if you're looking for a story that shows how misfortune can often be the first sign of a miracle (or if you want to check out an essential part of rock's beginnings), this is it!

ANOTHER WINNER FROM WARNER.......2001-06-08

They were a short-lived '50s singing group made up of five jailbirds: a man in for larceny, a convicted rapist and three assorted killers. Although signed to a legendary label, Sun Records, they never scored once on the pop or R&B hit parades. And that despite the fact that they introduced "Just Walkin' In The Rain" -- a song that would later sell a million copies when recorded by Johnnie Ray, the over-the-top pop singer often billed as "The Prince Of Wails." On the surface, it would certainly appear that The Prisonaires never really amounted to much -- and were, at best, a mini-footnote in pop history. Enter master musicologist Jay Warner, one of the few in his field with the tenacity, drive and investigative skills needed to unravel the mystery of The Prisonaires' nearly 50-year old hidden story. Now, for the first time ever, the quintet's amazing, eye-opening saga has been revealed in painstaking detail in Warner's latest literary labor of love. To paraphrase Paul Harvey, just wait 'til you discover "the rest of the story." -- Gary Theroux, Music Editor, Reader's Digest

WOODEN WRITING SPOILS STORY OF PIONEER TALENT.......2001-05-08

Warner has proven himself to be an enthusiast with a questionable grasp of solid information. Bragg was/is a talented songwriter and claimer of credit for all sorts of creative efforts ("Hank Williams bought my songs" - that sort of thing - more than Bragg have claimed authorship of some of Hank's songs so that's hardly a major revelation.). For instance, Bragg is portrayed as a coach and confidant of Elvis, for example. .... The story of Bragg is of bad and racially biased law enforcement of the 1940s and 1950s and of his inevitable imprisonment followed by constant visits of his group the Prisonaires to various concerts at the governor's home. The first few trips that Warner protrays are of interest, the final twenty or so start to drag...oh yeah, the group sang at the governer's mansion - so what else is new? And bringing Elvis on the scene with an attempt to protray suspense just falls flat - badly. The life of Bragg is an interesting magazine piece, but hardly a book.

Just Walkin' In the Rain the True Story of a Convict Quintet, a Liberal Governor, and How They Changed Southern History Through Rhythm and Blues

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Just Walkin' In the Rain the True Story of a Convict Quintet, a Liberal Governor, and How They Changed Southern History Through Rhythm and Blues
Jay Warner Foreward By Rick Dees
Manufacturer: Renaissance Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JYZB7Y

Amazon.com

If the only time you think you've seen a transsexual is on the Jerry Springer show, Noelle Howey's thoughtful, funny memoir of her suburban childhood with a cross-dressing dad may leave you wondering where all the fireworks are. The first half of Dress Codes is like anyone's story of parental neglect. "I had a dad possibly like yours," Howey explains, "sullen, sporadically hostile, frequently vacant." It was her loving mother who eventually confided her father's secret when Howey was 15, by which time it came as a relief that the remoteness, the drinking, the mood swings were not the young Noelle's fault, but the result of her father's constantly stifled "yearning for angora." Although the early chapters are interesting, Dress Codes really takes off at the halfway point, when her father realized he was not a heterosexual male transvestite, but a woman. His sexual transition, and the family's awkward adjustment to it--including the author's inability in high school to keep any secret aside from this One Big Secret--is written with warmth and insight, and colored with a lonely girl's lingering disappointment. --Regina Marler

Book Description

Throughout her childhood in suburban Ohio, Noelle struggled to gain love and affection from her distant father.In compensating for her father's brusqueness, Noelle idolized her nurturing tomboy mother and her conservative grandma who tried to turn her into "a little lady."At age 14, Noelle's mom let her buy a pair of Guess jeans that she had been coveting.Then, staring straight at the car windshield on the way home from the mall, her mom finally blurted out the family secret: "Dad likes to wear women's clothes." As Noelle copes with a turbulent adolescence, further confused by the male and female role models she had as a girl, her father begins to metamorphose into the loving parent she had always longed for-only now outfitted with pedal pushers and pink lipstick.Could becoming a woman make her father a completely different person? With edgy humor, courage, and remarkable sensitivity, Noelle Howey challenges all of our beliefs in what constitutes gender and a "normal" family.AUTHORBIO: NOELLE HOWEY is the co-editor of Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Parents, winner of two 2000 Lambda Literary Awards.She has written for publications as varied as Ms., Jane, Mother Jones, Glamour, Self, Fortune Small Business, Teen People, Seventeen, and Bitch.A finalist for a GLAAD Media Award, she received a 2001 Nonfiction Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts.An Ohio native, Noelle Howey lives in Minneapolis with her husband.REVIEW: "....rarely has the true value of family been so movingly and lovingly evoked as it is in Dress Codes." (John Colapinto, As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl) REVIEW: "With disarming honesty and startling lucidity Noelle Howey beautifully weaves together the stories of three people coming into themselves." (Thisbe Nissen, author of The Good People of New York) REVIEW: "Noelle Howey's story is astonishing for the skill, perception and integrity with which it is told....both funny and entertaining."(Amy Wilensky, author of Passing for Normal: A Memoir of Compulsion)

Customer Reviews:

It's all about the tone she takes........2006-06-13

I am a great fan of using humor to deliver painful truths in writing, but this book goes too far in that direction. The writer's tone is unbearably flippant at times. She seems to hold her life and the lives of her parents at arm's length where she can giggle at it all with shoulder-shrugging, eye-rolling smirks. When dealing with her own childhood, that approach is fine, but I was taken aback by the writer's overly jokey tone when talking about her mother's adolescence and her father's painful childhood. That is probably one way of dealing with the confusion and pain of her father's life and the distance that caused in their relationship. Thankfully, late in the story, her father goes through his transformation and so does she. When her humor finally fails her, she also relaxes her frenetic "let's-play-it-for-laughs" posture. As a reader, I was relieved. All in all, this is a fascinating story about gender that raises as many questions as it answers. The writer's eye for telling detail brings her past alive, and she is one funny woman, so I do recommend it despite the snarky tone. Also, how many other people can tell this story? That alone makes this book worth it.

I expected more.......2005-10-18

When I saw this book, I expected it to be facinating. Afterall, how could it fail? Somehow, it did for me. I was very disappointed, because I wanted to compare this family with another. A good friend of mine went though the process of changing gender from male to female and since we worked nights together, I spent a lot of time talking to her about the process. Although I did finish the book, it won't be one that I'll need to talk about. Howey seemed to have left the characters incomplete. I found the end to be rushed. Howey dealt with her major depressive episode in the last 30 pages! Not one of my favorite books and not one I'd recommend for others.

I came expecting a sordid thrill and left with a touching and well-done family portrait.......2005-09-06

The true story of a woman who grew up with a cross-dressing dad, who later became a transgendered woman, is bound to be an attention getter. I picked this up expecting to get some nice shocking details about alternative lifestyles, but instead I was touched with a very complete family portrait. Howey dove deep into her mother's and her father's childhoods, their formative sexual relationships, and how they were shaped into who they were as adults. She paints a complete picture of three different transformations into womanhood--those of her mother, herself, and her father.

This isn't a train wreck of a journey--the reader will come away surprised at how natural all this growth and transformation seems. Howey captures the larger attitudes and issues around transsexualism, as well as how it affected her small family. Her insight and wisdom make this book an excellent resource, and this book should be remembered as a portrait of attitudes about sexuality over the last 25 years.

A Frank Account of An Exceptional Childhood........2005-03-11

The local school system is considering dress codes as parents today don't care what the older kids wear in public so, when I found this book at the library surplus sale, I took it without checking the contents. Was I in for a shock!

This unusual memoir concerns a totally different matter. The female writer grew up in an unorthodox family situation. The photos show a normal looking childhood and ordinary people. However, there was nothing normal about their life, after a time. The last photo shows her with two women, the taller is her father Richard (now Christine) who is shown as a beauty contestant. He'd been an advertising writer and part time actor, and tried to stifle his desires with alcohol; to beat it all, he was only 5'10".

He and Dinah had been high school sweethearts in Cleveland, Ohio. He kept his distance from daughter, Noelle, and she avoided being in his presence. Children know instinctively when things aren't right. She learned at the age of fourteen that her father had a real problem which they'd have to live with, or acccept whether they wanted to or not. He'd implied as much in 1962 before the wedding to Dinah, but she didn't take the warning. She heard what she wanted to hear by changing the subject.

This girl lived through emotional and mental distress because of the consequences. There was never any guilt involved, only a determination to become what he wanted, no matter who got hurt. Noelle wasn't successful in sticking with anything she tried, giving up in the early days of a college education, or a job abroad, and suffered a misery only hinted at. It's a miracle she came out as "normal," with the happenings the next ten years after her mother explained the reason for the divorce. She remarried and Richard had operations to appear feminine and have his own way of living. It's sad to put that burden on an adolescent who developed a split personality in high school.

She'd written an earlier book, OUT OF THE ORDINARY, with Ellen Samuels, prepping for this family revelation.

Didn't Mean to Pick it Up (Couldn't Put it Down).......2004-12-10

I bought this book in the "on sale" part of Amazon one day, because it was the cheapest book that could get me over the "free shipping" hump. I thought, "It sounds alright -- maybe I'll find time to read it one day."

Well that one day happened while I was rearranging furniture last week. Dress Codes fell out of my bookshelf so I picked it up and said, "Huh! I forgot all about this book!" I sat down on my office chair and flipped to a random page in the book to see if it was any good. Six hours and a damn good story later, I went to bed.

The book weaves an interesting twist of biographical stories from the view point of her parents as children, along with her own childhood story. She explores the characters in her family with depth and humor. Each chapter leaves you hungry for more.

Enjoy the author's communist grandfather, socialite grandmother, goes-along-with-anything mom, and her grumpy dad with his humorous efforts to prove his masculinity!

Dress Codes: Of Three Girlhoods-My Mother'S, My Father'S, and Mine

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Dress Codes: Of Three Girlhoods-My Mother'S, My Father'S, and Mine
Noelle Howey
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTID4W

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