Reviews for How to write and speak better

The average rating for How to write and speak better based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-11-21 00:00:00 scott ronning Let's put it like this: I read the first chapter and the next day wrote 800 words. Then 450, then 815. not good words, but I am writing. that alone is worth 10 stars to me. Edit 09/2017: I have successfully defended my PhD thesis and submitted the final version after 3 years (first version for examiners 2.5 years). It wasn't this book alone, but it definitely made a big difference and helped kick off the development of better habits.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-04-19 00:00:00 Rebecca Blabolil Just set a writing schedule and stick to it. It's obvious advice, but if you don't do it yet, it's worth reading the author's cheery tone for a motivational kick in the pants to get you started. The concepts of 'binge writing' (Kellogg, 1994, The Psychology of Writing) and 'dispositional attribution' (Jellison, 1993, Overcoming Resistance: A Practical Guide to Producing Change in the Workplace) seem particularly useful. It's good to have terms for habits that I vaguely knew I had but didn't have names for. Some favorite parts: * p.12: 'Do you need to "find time to teach"? Of course not---you have a teaching schedule, and you never miss it. [...] Finding time is a destructive way of thinking about writing. Never say this again. Instead of finding time to write, allot time to write.' * p.14: 'When confronted with their fruitless ways, binge writers often proffer a self-defeating dispositional attribution: "I'm just not the kind of person who's good at making a schedule and sticking to it." This is nonsense, of course. People like dispositional explanations when they don't want to change [...]' * p.44: 'Never reward writing with not writing. Rewarding writing by abandoning your schedule is like rewarding yourself for quitting smoking by having a cigarette.' * p.81-90: Good advice on outlining and writing a journal article, particularly the introduction: 'This formula introduces the reader to your problem (section 1), reviews theories and research relevant to the problem (section 2), and clearly states how your research will solve the problem (section 3).'