Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing (2nd Edition)

I've read a lot of books on writing over the years, so many that I've reserved a spot on the corner of my desk for the very best of them so I can refer to them every so often. Only a few books are in this pile: they are the special ones. And one of them is Trimble's book. I discovered it many years ago when it was in its first edition, and have held it in high esteem ever since. Not only does Trimble give you a lot of useful information, he does, indeed , do it "with style." I enjoy both the information and the way he presents it. He covers all aspects of writing, including grammar, and usually when I see a section on grammar in such a book I skip over it, but not in this case. Even it is a delight.

If you only have time and money for one book on writing, get this one. But if you want two books, get this one and "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White.

You can read the book very quickly(2-3h) because it is written with great style(Trimble applies what he tells you,which makes the book a very good example to what he says). The advice is very practical, even the chapter on punctuation is useful-very useful i would say. Reading it once was enough for me to start using more expresive punctuation. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve his writing,whatever he may wish to write.

ps:this is the first book on writing i read. it might be that some/much of the advice from this book can be found in other books on writing.however, i think it's good to read this book, because it is short and nicely written;in the end it is a good idea to rehearse some things,sometime

I was fortunate enough to be a student in Dr. Trimble's American Liturature class at the University of Texas in 1989. Before I took his class, my writing was poor and insincere. I did not know how to use my own voice in my work.

After reading his book several times--and finally "getting it", I improved my writing significantly. I am a more successful person because of this book.

Thank you Dr. Trimble.

This book was a required text in a writing class I had as an undergraduate and I actually enjoyed reading it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I kept my copy instead of selling it back to the bookstore as a used copy at the end of the semester and I've used it for a reference ever since. It often comes in handy when I run up against obstacles in getting a writing project done.

As someone else pointed out, it's not as in depth as some other writing books. It is infinitely more readable and enjoyable, though. I know "enjoyable" is not a word that academics like since there seems to be an attitude of "it's only good if it's painful."

This book shows that good style and enjoyment aren't mutually exclusive. In fact it advises to turn your views and resources to best account to produce writing you'll be proud of. It also gives much more practical and understandable advice for inexperienced writers than anything else I've read.

This book should be a required yearly read for academic writers everywhere. It seems that many have forgotten the reason that they're writing--to communicate effectively--not simply to show off and get a publication under their belt.