A funny and useful grammar book! There are many grammar and usage books that give advice on correct English. This isn’t one of them. The Elements of Expression targets expressiveness as a goal apart from getting it technically right. Imagine the yawns a sportscaster would induce by announcing, “His bat struck the ball and the ball went into the stands,” instead of “He took that ball downtown!” And why say, “I’d prefer it if you didn’t volunteer your opinions,” if what you really mean is “When I want your advice, I'll beat it out of you” (Chuck Norris, Code of Silence)? Written with uncommon wit and humor, The Elements of Expression offers writers, speakers, and self-improvers a fresh look at how they express (or fail to express) their thoughts and feelings. Plotnik supplies many engaging examples of adventurous language to show the tremendous power of words to describe and enliven human experience. For people who care about language and want to write or speak forcefully, effectively—in a word, expressively—this is the audiobook to turn on!
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“Richard Waterhouse’ interpretive skills and playful
approach make this thoughtful book on writing shine in the audio format. With
youthful and reasoned enthusiasm, he reads long sentences, lists, and
quotations with razor clarity and sounds authentically engaged with the author’s
ideas and sensibilities. He’s especially effective when reading the examples
offered on oral presentations, which allow listeners to hear how phrasing,
tone, and emphasis can vary. For experienced writers and newbies alike, this is
an invaluable book on how one’s choice of words can influence the formality,
style, and effectiveness of our writing.”
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