Editorial Review

There's not much of the old-style editing going on at publishing houses today.Renni Browne, veteran of William Morrow and other publishers, founded the Editorial Department in 1980 to teach fiction writers the techniques professional editors (many of whom have gone independent) use to prepare a manuscript for publication. In this book, she and senior editor Dave King share their accumulated expertise in a series of brilliantly compact lessons. One page from their simply and markedly improved version of a scenefrom Read more

Reviews (74)

good book, with a caveat
As others have stated, this is a helpful book for improving line-level writing.This is not a general book on fiction writing and does not cover the usual topics, nor is it intended to.This leaves more room for what it does cover: editing.
helpful and no-nonsense
Authors will find this book by Browne and King helpful in two specific regards: (1) learning how to render a scene for the reader rather than slipping into narrative summary, and (2) developing crisper, more realistic dialogue by using beats and avoiding mistakes that scream "amateur!"
Very informative
What a great way to explore the best way to edit your own fictional work! Helpful for all genres. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    2. Editing    3. Fiction    4. General    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Reference    8. Technique    9. Language Arts & Disciplines / General   

Reviews (19)

Insightful
This book points out a lot of things women might be aware of but don't really think about.It really changed my perspective and the whole office politic games.I bought this book are a couple of women friends in management and would recommend this to anyone in a supervisor position.

Learn to play hardball--woman style
This review is a collaborative writing project completed by a ENGL/227 class at DeVry University in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Good guidance for Women
Working in a male-dominated company in a male-dominated field (sales) I had noticed some of the behaviors mentioned in this book. However, "Hardball" gave me insight into WHY I saw these behaviors and how to deal with them. The book is getting a little dated (the power suit/skirt is out, the power suit with slacks is the choice of women executives these days) but still very good information. You must keep in mind that not ALL men think this way - as with all generalizations you have to keep flexible and adapt to the situation. A must read for any woman who is mystified by the behaviors she sees around her and wants to move up in the corporate world. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Businesswomen    5. Career development    6. Corporate culture    7. Interpersonal communication    8. Skills    9. Women & Business    10. Business & Economics / Business Writing   

Reviews (1)

Required reading for my new staff at our new in-house studio
This book focuses on the most important part of making television and video - the story.It's an incredible how-to book with solid techniques and tricks-of-the-trade that are described by working professionals.As the senior producer of the second studio I've built for a Fortune 100 corporation, I'm making it required reading for my in-house staff.Our programs will be created this way or we will fail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Communication    2. Journalism    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Performing Arts    7. Production and direction    8. Television    9. Television - Direction & Production    10. Television Production    11. Television broadcasting of new    12. Television broadcasting of news    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication    14. Media studies    15. Media, information & communication industries   

Reviews (4)

Full of mistakes
It appears that some fool edited the cautionary examples for correctness. (p. 34) The grammar is poor ("verboten" as a noun? (p. 85)), and the usage is non-standard (Commas are "trundled out"?(p.37)). Some passages are self-contradictory ("With Adjectives, p. 37).
Efficient and entertaining, but slim for my personal taste
Written with lively and direct prose, Rene J. Cappon's guide to punctuation succeeds in being a useful resourse for the busy journalist.No reader need fear about getting bogged down in the finer points of periods.If such a situation threatens to occur, Capon is quick to suggest a workaround.This leaves the stickiest questions even stickier, a real prickle for someone as persnickety as me.But for the journalist, or journalism student, I heartily recommend it. A Graceful, Witty Guide to Punctuation
As a professional editor for nearly two decades, I heartily recommend this book.Cappon's writing is clear, funny, and creative, and he makes the nuances of punctuation memorable.His reasoning is logical, and his explanations and examples are very helpful.Interestingly, though this is an Associated Press publication, some of the style differs from the official A.P. Stylebook.So if A.P. is your background, be aware of this.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Communication - General    2. English language    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Linguistics    6. Punctuation    7. Reference    8. Writing Skills    9. English    10. Usage guides   

Reviews (1)

Perfect!
I love this book, because it gets right to the point without any foreplay. The author is brief and tells you exactly what you need to do. It covers everything from writing papers to CVs to oral presentations. Very useful! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    2. General    3. Reference    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Technical writing    7. Science / General   

Reviews (21)

This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind
The author "Ivan Doig" introduces Montana through his youthful eye and shares his rememberances of growing up in Montana. If you have yet to read any of Mr. Doig's excellent books or are already a fan; this book is not to be missed.

Enjoyable
I thoroughly enjoyed the book.The clincher was the realism and affection written into the characters.The work shares a time and place long since gone in this country.It makes one wonder if their own generation can live up to the character and accomplishments of the ones in the book.

This House of Sky, Tim Gauthier
The House of Sky was a good book because Ivan Doig talks about his experiences he went through in the town of White Sulfur Springs. He talks about his fathers experiences while he was growing up and how he dealed with them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Doig family    6. Doig, Ivan    7. Fiction    8. General    9. Literary    10. Meagher County (Mont.)    11. Regional Subjects - West    12. United States - State & Local - General    13. History / United States / State & Local / West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY)    14. Travel writing   

Reviews (5)

A LONG history with this title...
I have used this book frequently as a business consultant and teacher over the last 10 years.It is THE "How To" book on the subject.It goes very well with POLYPROC Policies and Procedures (also available on Amazon - search on Polyproc or Sarbanes Oxley).

Excellent.Easy to read or use as a reference.
No dry reading about theory here.Ms. Campbell has created a very useful tool.

Poorly Written, Hard to Understand
I found this book hard to understand and it didn't follow any great pattern or flow. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Policy Making    4. Business Writing    5. Business/Economics    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Leadership    8. Management    9. Management - General    10. Reference - General    11. Business communication & presentation    12. English    13. Writing skills   

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Reference    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Chemistry    8. Science / Chemistry / General   

Reviews (2)

THE BOOK FOR ABBEY FANS
This is a wonderful book for Ed Abbey fans because it reflects in his letters the many sides of Abbey we find in his writings, from his curmudgeonly old crank statements, his love of wilderness, and his heart felt feelings (such as his letter to his dad March 1975).I especially liked the foreward by Terry Williams.Oh! Where are you George Washington Heyduke?Someone should make of movie of the Gang!

Abbey: Now, more than ever
This book is a great reminder of how far ahead of his time Abbey was.Issues he was concerned about 40 or 50 years ago are argued with a passion and intellect that is missing from today's political discourse.Also missing today is the humor and constructive anger which served as an undercurrent for much of his writing.Beyond all this literary mumbo-jumbo, Abbey still makes for a great read.This is possibly the last of his writing to be published.Savor it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1927-1989    2. 20th century    3. Abbey, Edward,    4. American - General    5. Authors, American    6. Correspondence    7. General    8. Letters    9. Literary Collections    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Literature: Classics    12. Nature / Essays   

Reviews (26)

I doubt whether there can be a better concise collection of HQ oxymorons
I didnt expect that this handy little green book could contain so many oxymorons in 14 chapters (13 categories). Definitely a very useful and affordable tool in anyone's bookshelf for reference whenever necessary. Highly recommended!
A Tool For Wordsmiths: Mini-Review of "Oxymoronica" by Dr. Mardy Grothe
I have always found words to be marvelous tools, weapons or playthings - depending on who is wielding them and in what tone of voice.I marvelous at those who have the talent to express time-tested ideas in new and entertaining ways.So, I was delighted to find this little gem, written by Dr. Mardy Grothe: Oxymoronica - Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History's Greatest Wordsmiths."This HarperCollins book will be added to my bookshelf of hand reference works.
A little more literature
This book has a more unique viewpoint than most others of its type, which makes it a bit more interesting. It takes more thought to analyze the entries, so that it serves as a "wake up" medium for emphasis when it accompanies other thoughts that one wants to express. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Oxymoron    5. Quotations    6. Quotations, English    7. Reference    8. Collections & anthologies of various literary forms    9. Language Arts & Disciplines / General   

Reviews (2)

Good preparation, but some typos and problems.
This is a good preparation for the SAT Literature Subject Test, and is shorter than the other prep books while still contianing a lot of good practice. There are only 3 practice tests, which is fine, becuase you dont need eight (who is really going to practice eight times?). In fact, you will probably force yourself to practice once, so three is plenty. It is easy enough to work through the week before the test, in fact, it is possible to read the whole thing in two sittings, if you are familiar with the way SATs work and don't need to read the general intructions at the beginnging. The "meat" of the preparation (the test strategies section) is only 62 pages long, and easy enough to read. Although, there are probably too few drills to practice on, and you need to take a practice test to get a real sense of what the questions are like. I noticed quite a few typos thoughout the book, which seems ironic for a book focused on Engligh Literature. I took practice test #2, and scored a 580 (which isn't great), and looking over the answer explainations, it seemed to me like a lot of the questions had two or more very legitimate, equally arguable answers. In other words, the topics questioned were too subjective, and open to interpretation, more so than on the actual, official, SAT Subject Test, which I just took and found to be easier than the practice test in this book. But I have not recieved my score back yet- so we will see. Also, the book talks about and tests a lot of what it calls "Roman Numeral questions", a question format where you are given three choices and must choose a combination of roman numerals as an answer. It heavily stressed these as confusing and prevalent... don't worry, I only encountered one of these on the actual test. Overall, I was satisfied with the preparation this book provided, although I think it was a little too subjective in the questions it asked, which may frustrate you when taking the practice tests. Recommended for someone who is fairly good at interpreting literature anyway (an "Enlgish" person), who wants to know what they are going to be tested on, and especially for people who have not done any specific preparation and are panicking on the Wednesday before the test (me.) Not recommended for someone who is not an "Enlgish" person, or has no familiarity with literary terms/devices (in that case, you probably shouldn't be trying this Subject Test), or anyone who wants a lot of preparation becuase they feel really uneasy about taking the SAT Literature Subject Test.

Good, but slim
This was the only book I used to prepare for the December 3rd (2005) Literature SAT Subject test. Understand that, I am a Freshman in college and took AP Literature in high school, so most of the material in this book was fairly familiar to me, even though I hadn't had an English class for over 6 months when I took this test.
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Subjects:  1. SAT & PSAT    2. Study Aids    3. Study Guides    4. Test Prep    5. Writing Skills    6. Study Aids / SAT & PSAT (Scholastic Assessment Test & Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test)   

Editorial Review

Any book that can give voice to the voiceless should be celebrated. No one feels this more strongly than Wally Lamb, editor of Read more

Reviews (47)

'can't keep this to myself'
I have been an admirer of Wally Lamb for quite awhile now.But when I read that he was volunteering his time to conduct writing workshops at York Correctional Institution, I was so very impressed and moved.I couldn't put the book down; it was so full of life -- and living.Even under the worst circumstances.The writings demonstrate what we -- and the "officials" -- have always known:that most molestations of children are conducted by close friends or relatives.And that kind of betrayal can never be undone. But I was so disappointed when the book was over and I had no more to read from the group.I could have gone on reading much more from these remarkable women, who have lived such violent, difficult lives.And this is not to excuse the crimes they committed, but merely to acknowledge that they are not only their crimes, but complete lives of individuals who evolved to where they are today.As much as I have admired Wally Lamb and his writings before (I only read two books of his), I admire him even more and eagerly await his next book.And I hope there will be another volume from his Women of York workshops.

Disturbing butoften hopeful
I am glad that I read this book as it gave me a bit of an insight to what life is like in prison for woman incarcerated at a maximum prison. This book certainly helped me to appreciate the freedoms that most of us take for granted on a much larger scale of understanding. I usually keep my reviews pretty short, but I have to add that these short stories these courageous women wrote in this book are very worth while reading and I learned quite a lot from these woman who were willing to share their lives with us.Being someone who worked at a maximum facility for men, I always wondered what the female experience in jail would be like, and I believe that this book gives you a pretty good idea. None of the incarcerated women make any excuses for their crimes, they accept full responsibility, and then give us a bio of their lives, as far as what may have led up to their crimes.Yes it was disturbing for me to read at times, but yet a book I just could not put down. What disturbed me was clearly hearing about how much violence these woman as children sadly grew up with, and how no one was there to help them, or assist them out of the nightmare of child abuse, and domestic violence. The beginning of the book is interesting as well as Wally Lamb talks about his life just a little bit and what led up to his other book, "She's Come Undone", which is another book if his I couldn't put down.
One of the best books I've read in awhile
I must confess, I did not open this book without some bias.I volunteer at a prison and have a deep interest in women's issues, and after reading the other Amazon.com reviews, I was pretty sure I would love this book.(I was right.)What I didn't expect was a strong desire to share it with just about everyone I know.Don't get me wrong, this is no "Chicken Soup for the Soul" -- there are some hard stories in this book.But the writing is outstanding, and in reading each story I was captivated by the author's personality, struggles, hopes, and essential humanity.This book was, for me, a powerful aid to compassion and understanding.I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American literature    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Connecticut    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Penology    7. Prisoners' writings, American    8. Sociology    9. Women    10. Women authors    11. Women prisoners    12. Women's Studies - General    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing   

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English Composition    4. English language    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Persuasion (Rhetoric)    9. Problems, exercises, etc    10. Readers    11. Report writing    12. Rhetoric    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    14. Study & learning skills   

Reviews (2)

A Student's Book
This book is perfect for any student of writing, whether enrolled in a university or not. It guides the reader through every stage of the writing process: planning, drafting, researching, revising, and editing. SPLICES, ANTECEDENTS ETC.
THE BLAIR HANDBOOK IS MUST HAVE FOR WRITING PERFECT ENGLISH. NO HOUSE, LIBRARY, OR EVEN STUDENT SHOULD BE WITHOUT THIS TEXT. EVER WONDER WHY IT IS THAT 'THE ROAD WINDS AROUND THE MOUNTAIN.' INSTEAD OF 'THE ROADS WINDS AROUND THE MOUNTAIN'? WELL NOW YOU CAN FIND OUT, NOT JUST BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT, BUT THE REASON IT ISN'T CORRECT. THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT YOU WILL WRIET AND THEN SECOND GUESS THEM, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE CORRECT. WITH THIS BOOK YOU CAN FIND OUT WHAT IS CORRECT AND BRING YOUR WRITING UP TO A HIGHER LEVEL. USE THE TIPS AND LESSONS TO WRITE IMPRESSIVE RESUMES, PAPERS, THESES ETC. A MUST FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN WRITING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Grammar    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. English    7. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    8. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (1)

The Only Proposal Guide You Need
As any graduate student will tell you acceptance onto a Ph.D program is largely based on submitting a successful proposal. Thereafter, as long as the researcher adheres to the proposal, graduation is virtually guaranteed. I am a Ph.D student who used the book to construct my proposal, which was summarily accepted by the research committee with minor changes. This appears to be contrary to what many Ph.D hopefuls experience. The book is expensive however I would highly recommend it. The proposal hurdle is well worth overcoming professionally. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    2. Dissertations, Academic    3. Fund raising    4. General    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Personal & Practical Guides    7. Proposal writing in research    8. Reference    9. Research grants    10. Study Skills    11. Education / Study Skills    12. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (2)

Good for Academics
The book provides quality information about research papers and topical essays that effectively demonstrate the many major parts of a research paper. It focuses on summary, synthesis, critique, and analysis; the inside cover gives the reader an easy to read summary of the contents. While the subject matter of writing papers is fairly dry, the information contained in the essays is somewhat interesting.

The best apparatus out there
This cut down by more than half the time it has taken my students to learn to write summaries, integrate sources, understand argument, and write syntheses. Read more

Subjects:  1. College readers    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Interdisciplinary approach in    5. Interdisciplinary approach in education    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Problems, exercises, etc    10. Rhetoric    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    12. Language Teaching & Learning (Other Than ELT)   

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Composition and exercises    3. Curricula    4. Curriculum Evaluation    5. Education    6. Education / Teaching    7. Educational Policy & Reform    8. Elementary    9. English language    10. Research And Report Writing    11. Study and teaching    12. Teaching Methods & Materials - Language Arts    13. United States    14. American English    15. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / General    16. Teaching of a specific subject    17. Writing skills   

Reviews (14)

Indispensable
I discovered this book during my MA program a few years back.At the time, I'd not seen anything quite like it, aside from Lew Turco's Book of Forms, a book that I enjoyed.But since I'm not a primarily formalist poet, I found Turco's book somewhat wanting.
For Classroom use...perfect
I teach an 8th grade Language Arts Class in rural Washington State.I found our textbook to be bland and typical.I was looking for some work for my students to actually learn how to write poetry correctly. This book does this.

Useful resource for poets of all levels (and teachers!)
This is a wide ranging collection of poetry exercises written by poets who also teach. With over 90 exercises (most no more than two pages long), you'll find they are various in "approach, style, and content, and cover a great deal of territory"(excerpted from the intro.).For that reason, some of the exercises can come across irrelevant, as another reviewer mentioned, or juvenile (ie: "auctioning" off your line to another student in class).However, keep in mind that these exercises can be re-drafted or custom-built to the needs of the class.Additionally, the narratives that follow each exercise are a fantastic way to learn about the exercise from the teacher's perspective: what works, what doesn't, what kind of students have difficulty with the exercise, etc.Unlike most exercise books that just spit out what to do, the teacher expands on why this particular exercise is a useful one for the student and what the exercise may help the student create.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Poetry    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Poetry    5. Reference    6. Study Guides    7. Technique   

Reviews (1)

Writing Up Qualitative Research
This book has been very helpful in determining where to start and steps to make for completing a qualitative research project. It offers suggestions of "how to" and provides application tips that make a sometimes seemingly overwhelming project manageable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Educational anthropology    3. Ethnology    4. General    5. Literary Criticism    6. Research    7. Technical Writing    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Social Science / Research    10. Social research & statistics    11. Writing & editing guides   

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Computer network resources    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Reference    6. Report writing    7. Research    8. Writing Skills    9. Language & Linguistics    10. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing