writing to learn (william zinnser)
this is not really what i was expecting it to be and it was surprisingly engaging. broadly, this is an argument for using writing as a mechanism for learning vs. learning to the test or via standard educational practices. he highlights institutions that have incorporated writing deeply into their programs. i have a natural bias towards organizations that have a culture of writing and this is perhaps the one thing that’s intrigued me about amazon work culture from what i’ve heard from friends.
there’s little in this book that’s prescriptive in terms of how to write. rather, it’s a collection of examples of effective writing across a reasonable range of disciplines. zinnser does a really good job of highlighting why he things that a particular example is effective and notes the elements of style or content that illustrate the point he’s after. there are some historical bangers in the mix here (e.g., einstein’s theory of relativity, the voyage of teh beagle, et al) and some that i found compelling enough on their own to add to the reading queue.
the book shows its age a bit in terms of the cultural references and the pace at which things take place (that last bit might just be my current pace bias) but the writing samples are on the whole incredibly well selected.
5/5 would buy (possibly even read) again.
meta
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