The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition

These are the basic rules, one half-step above grammar, that should be followed by al people that need to make themselves definitively understood through written communication. It is more than obvious that far too many people have gone through their lives without ever having been exposed to the simple, basic rules presented in this book. How many times have you seen a sign that claims ``Egg's $2.00''? I often wonder why I should care about how much money some guy named Egg has. The majority of the rules that proposed by Mr. Strunk are not pedantic, but simply the basic rules of the English language. There are also other rules that are excellent for straightforward making-yourself-understood writing. These are much more flexible, a point often made in the book by the authors. However, if you don't know what you're doing, these rules are much better to follow than the rules apparently made up on the spot by most uninformed writers.

The vague point that some of these pseudo-intellectuals seem to make is that writing this way is very limiting. However, the point of the book, and of rules in general, is to be limiting. If one is striving to make art, one needs to intentionally break rules. However, it is difficult to break rules if one does not know what they are. There is certainly an element of art that discounts rules altogether, but those artists tend not to work in the element of writing at all. It is difficult at best to convey this sort of mindset through words, as words are very definitive and that sort of art is almost totally expressionist.

In other words, I would encourage everyone to read this book, or in some way get these basic rules of English in his head. ...


Probably does more harm than good.   March 31, 2002
 55 out of 68 found this review helpful

This short, classic book is essentially a collection of the bits and pieces of advice that Prof. Strunk (and later his student, New Yorker editor E. B. White) considered most important some 50 years ago. Much of what they say is wise and useful -- as far as it goes. The problem is that too many people, especially people whose jobs require writing, think that Strunk & White is the alpha and omega of good writing and never bother to learn from better, more thorough, and less dated works. If you really want to improve your writing, rather than simply salve your conscience, I highly recommend *Style,* by Joseph M. Williams (available in paperback), and *The Reader over Your Shoulder,* by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge (reprinted in 1995 as *The Use and Abuse of the English Language,* yet inexplicably out of print under either title; it's at least as old as Strunk & White but has held up much much better). If a grammar refresher is what you want, then for my money the best resource is the 60-page section on grammar (including a glossary of grammatical terms) in *Words into Type.* If you already grasp the basics of grammar and want to deepen your understanding, then Max Morenberg's *Doing Grammar* is an excellent choice.


Anh...   August 11, 1999
 50 out of 56 found this review helpful

OK. So this is one of the definitive reference books on style in written English. Just don't confuse style with grammar--if you want to understand grammar per se, this isn't the book for you. (Steven Pinker's "The Language Instinct" is what you want--quite a bit wittier than Strunk & White, too.) "The Chicago Manual of Style" or "Wired Style: Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age" are both for sale at Amazon, too, and I think they're ultimately better references. But if you want to write well, well, buy Strunk & White, and abide by their oft-archaic but always lucid guidelines. Just, please, don't stop with them. The most-acclaimed writers in the English language conform not closely to Strunk & White's principles (cf. Shakespeare, Jefferson, Longfellow, Hemmingway, Pynchon, Morrison... whatever your taste may be), so be mindful that this book is not alone the key to becoming a great writer.


Short and concise, the way you should write   March 25, 2001
 36 out of 39 found this review helpful

This book can be read in a couple hours (at most), but despite its short length, it provides many useful suggestions to help clarify one's writing. It is mostly a collection of simple rules and their explanations, all of which are easy to grasp and to employ in one's writing. As in George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language," the central theme here is to be clear. Be precise and don't confuse the reader.

The table of contents list the rules, so once you've read the book, you can just flip to the contents to remind yourself of them. If you want to improve your writing, there are many books on the topic, but here is where to start. If you disagree with the rules as some Amazon reviewers do, fine. The authors are dead, and I'm sure they won't take it too personally if you criticize their work. But I don't find the rules restrictive. To the contrary, unless you really know the language and are adept at using it, you can't break these rules without making a terrible blunder. Anybody who writes will benefit from spending an hour or so skimming through this book once every few years.


Still the Best   December 21, 2001
 34 out of 39 found this review helpful

Twenty-one years ago, a professor in one of my English Lit. classes brought out a book that was NOT one of those texts that you thought you were going to have to take along into the next life in order to finish it. The book was quite the opposite. It was a small 78 page publication that was no more intimidating than a comic book.

I was a student that needed help in my punctuation, word usage, and style. I hoped, as did all the students, that the day would come when we would be published. The professor said, "If you're ever going to make it in the writing field, this book will be your best guide. Stick to the principles mentioned in its pages and you will achieve your goals. That is, assuming you have any writing ability in you at all."

Currently, I am taking a refresher course through a correspondence school back East. Guess what book is part of their curriculum? You're right, it's The Elements of Style. This time I have given the book a strict credence, and in the next few months I will have my first publishing credit.

I believe, The Elements of Style, is still the best book on correct writing techniques there is on the market. It was so tweny-one years ago and it will be so twenty-one years from now.

M.D. Cummings