#1784

Mentioned in 15 episodes

Elements of Style

Book • 2012

Strunk, William, Jr.

Originally written by William Strunk Jr. in 1918, 'The Elements of Style' is a comprehensive guide to writing in English.

The book was later revised and expanded by E.B. White in 1959.

It covers elementary rules of usage, principles of composition, matters of form, and commonly misused words and expressions.

The guide is renowned for its emphasis on clear, concise, and vigorous writing, advising writers to omit needless words, use the active voice, and employ parallelism appropriately.

The book has become a staple in U.S.

high school and university composition classes and is widely regarded as one of the most influential non-fiction books written in English since 1923.

Mentioned by

Michael Mauboussin

Harley Finkelstein

Paris Martineau

Nicolas Johnson

Shimon Schocken

Nasos Papadopoulos

Fabio Cerpelloni

Mentioned in 15 episodes

Mentioned by

Kevin Roose

while explaining his rationale for using a single 'chugga chugga' sound effect, referencing the book's advice on conciseness.

Is This an A.I. Bubble? + Meta’s Missing Morals + TikTok Shock Slop

Mentioned by

Steven Pinker

as a famous style manual with the first rule of writing being to omit needless words.

Steven Pinker: Harvard Professor Explains The Rules of Writing | How I Write

Mentioned by

Michael Mauboussin

in comparison to Steven Pinker's classic style of writing.

Michael Mauboussin: How To Find Your Edge As A Writer

Recommended as essential reading for improving writing skills, emphasizing strong grammar.

How China Captured Apple — with Patrick McGee

Mentioned by

Harley Finkelstein

as a book that teaches everything he learned in law school about writing.

#486: Harley Finkelstein — Tactics and Strategies from Shopify, The Future of Retail, and More

Mentioned by

Terry O'Reilly

as a treasure trove of composition principles, indispensable for writing.

Mentioned by

Scott Galloway

as a book he aims to write every 18 months.

Apple’s Future Under Trump, Voter Turnout in the 2024 Election, and Scott’s Writing Advice

Mentioned by Abhishek as a helpful resource for improving technical writing.

Ep. 182: Cal’s Business Model

Mentioned by

Azra Raza

, referencing Dorothy Parker's advice on writing a book.

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Mentioned by

John McWhorter

, discussing the book's influence and some of its questionable advice on grammar.

The Bond Market Doesn’t Do Ayahuasca

Recommended by

Nicolas Johnson

as a classic style guide.

Episode 2 (Pt.2): Blogging With Style in Toronto

Recommended by the speaker as offering great advice on writing clearly and elegantly.

ML13: How To Become a Great Communicator

Mentioned when discussing writing style.

Episode 168 - Making our first sentence sparkle.

Mentioned by

Shimon Schocken

as an inspiration for the writing style of "Elements of Computing Systems".

496: Beauty, Elegance, Consistency

Recommended by

Nasos Papadopoulos

as a must-read resource for aspiring writers.

ML19: How To Become a Better Writer

Mentioned by

Leidy Klotz

as a seminal work on writing style and clarity.

Innovation 2.0: Do Less

Mentioned by

Chris Brandow

as a classic book on style, comparing it to the debate of tabs vs. spaces.

Building actually maintainable software (Go Time #196)

Mentioned by

Fabio Cerpelloni

as a contrasting example of a reference book.

Wanna Write Better Sentences? Here’s a Helpful Book

Mentioned by

Fabio Cerpelloni

as a classic style guide, though he found it somewhat prescriptive and rigid.

12 Books for Writers and Storytellers (Should you read them?)

Mentioned by

Leo Laporte

as a classic style guide, and

Paris Martineau

mentions not having read it in journalism school.

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