Book review: The Elements of Style
THE EARLIEST EDITION of The Elements of Style was set down more than 100 years ago in 1919.
But it’s far from outdated.
In fact, The Elements of Style remains the single most brief and practical guide to English writing that’s ever appeared. By far.
Whether you write B2B, B2C, mysteries, or text for cereal boxes, you just can’t find better advice on writing anywhere else.
Whenever I give a writing workshop, I ask who has a copy of The Elements of Style on their desks.
A flurry of hands go up. To any writer who doesn’t raise their hand, I say, “Why not? Go get a copy right now!”
Every working writer should have a copy of this little book and refer to it often.
Whenever I’m feeling overburdened by buzzwords, corporate speak, and jargon, I remember the advice of Strunk and White. That helps me fight to keep my sentences more crisp, clear, and concise.
For less than $10 and under 100 pages, nothing else can touch this little guide as a writing advisor and companion.
Prescriptivist vs descriptivist
This book is not without its critics, and some have a point.
For example, the book has three main sections with the authors’ advice on matters of:
- Usage
- Composition
- Style
Honestly, I ignore the section on usage, which is decidedly prescriptivist (based on stern rules of what makes proper grammar).
My style tends to be more descriptivist, using newer terms or constructions that may not be accepted by every grammarian.
After all, anyone who writes about tech needs to stay flexible.
Of course, I don’t want to make glaring mistakes.
But some of the terms I use were only invented a couple of years ago; there’s no way those have found their way into any dictionary yet.
For example: blockchain, invented in 2009. Should we write “a blockchain” or just “blockchain” as a collective noun or “blockchains”? Should we use a capital letter?
For more about the ongoing war between prescriptivists and descriptivists, here’s an article from The New York Times.
Now there’s a charming illustrated version
The latest version of The Elements of Style is a weirdly effective illustrated edition.
I never imagined anyone would create whimsical paintings to depict concepts in English style.
But the paintings by Maira Kalman are truly amazing.
She depicts everything from “sentence fragment” to “overly, muchly, thusly.”
Those graphics keep me coming back to this edition to sneak another peek.
If you’re interested in a new look at an old classic, check out The Elements of Style Illustrated.
Watch the online discussion
I feel so passionate about this little book that I led an online discussion about it in the AWAI Great Book series in 2015.
I know, I know. That’s a few years ago.
But nothing about clear writing has gone out of date in those years.
You can watch the discussion here, including my slides and the Q&A.
Happy writing!
This article first published 11 November 2015. Last updated 8 May 2024.
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