Marion Street Press, Inc. reviews of The Dictionary of Concise Writing

William Safire,

December 8, 2002

Recommended both The Dictionary of Concise Writing and The Dimwit's Dictionary as Gifts o' Gab!

By Zay Smith

...Words on words

*QT Grammar R Us Book-of-the-Month Club November Selection:

The Dictionary of Concise Writing: 10,000 Alternatives to Windy Phrases (Marion Street Press).

*QT Grammar R Us Book-of-the-Month Club November Alternate:

The Dimwit's Dictionary: 5,000 Overused Words and Phrases and Alternatives to Them (Marion Street Press).

These are two of the better usage books (published in Oak Park and available on amazon.com) to come down the road, which is an overused phrase, come to think of it, in the past few years, which, come to think of it, is a wordy phrase, and, all right, QT will have to go back and study these books some more, or is the "some" really necessary in this sentence?

From Heartland Reviews

By Bob Spear

The Dictionary of Concise Writing is a superb partial solution to a common writing problem-excessive wordiness. The author first provides examples of wordy writing in a number of professional genres. He then provides 10,000 wordy phrases and their more concise alternatives. This is an excellent reference book for writers of all ilk. We rated it a high four hearts.

By Bill Kent, award-winning journalist, author of the six books, including the novel Street Money from St. Martin's Press

Though I've been writing professionally for more than twenty-five years, I'm having fun reading random entries in The Dimwit's Dictionary: 5,000 Overused Words and Phrases and Alternatives to Them, and its companion volume, The Dictionary of Concise Writing: 10,000 Alternatives to Wordy Prhrases, because I need the occasional expert opinion (suspect superlative!) because my prose can suddenly and without warning (a wrteched redundancy!) go overboard (a moribund metaphor!) and basically (overworked word!) commit egregious errors (an inescapable pair!) and even lapse into what is really and truly (nfantile phrase!) as dead as a dodo (insipid simile!).

From MyShelf.com

By Nancy Mehl

In a letter to a twelve- year old boy, Mark Twain wrote, "I notice you use plain, simple language, short words, and brief sentences. That is the way to write English - it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in." In THE DICTIONARY OF CONCISE WRITING, Robert Hartwell Fiske points out many ways we have padded our language and our writing with unnecessary words. Clear and concise communication is more effective in conversation - as well as in literature. Although much of the examples in the book apply to business applications, the advice is well worth the attention of anyone who writes. Those who write nonfiction articles and books, as well as those who write fiction, need to heed Mr. Fiske's advice.

As we grow older, we come to the erroneous decision that if five words will make the point, twenty words will make us appear much more intelligent. After all, the more words we know, the smarter we must be! Actually, the ability to communicate our thoughts, desires, and stories, is defined by how well our readers understand what we're trying to say.

....We've fallen in love with words. Words are powerful, and for fiction writers, their use determines success or failure. They deliver our stories and our characters. Padding your writing with unnecessary verbiage will soften the impact you wish to convey.

THE DICTIONARY OF CONCISE WRITING is a must have for anyone who wants to communicate effectively.

By Denise Clark, author

Any writer worth his or her salt has heard of author Robert Fiske’s books, created and designed to help the aspiring, novice and experienced writer alike to hone their craft. In his Dictionary of Concise Writing, Fiske shows not only how to avoid common pitfalls but also how to strive for originality. He is also an expert on one particular handicap of many writers’… the tendency to use redundant or extraneous, excessively wordy phrases in their narrative prose.

This compilation of experience and wisdom is divided into two major parts; the first covers identifying and correcting excessive wordiness, which in itself may take many authors several months to thoroughly peruse. The second part is a collection of the worst of these writers’ sins and his remedy to rectify them. Of course, you don’t have to take his advice, but it’s strongly advised that you do. After all, he’s the expert.

And lest this reader/reviewer succumb to the temptation to wax over long praising this neat, fun and easy to read example of terse prose, let me suffice it to say that no writer with any grit should be without this reference.

Reviews for The Dictionary of Concise Writing