Rating: 
Summary: great book
Review: Some writing books can be filled with rules and be rather dull, but this one was actually fun to read. Zinsser's dry wit and personality comes through from cover to cover. Our writing team has used it for the past couple of years and recommend it often. It is the best book on writing that we've ever used.
Rating: 
Summary: Just three stars...
Review: This book rates just three stars - and those are more for its illustrative content rather than style instruction.
The numerous Zinsser fans I see represented among the Amazon reviewers lead me to suspect that perhaps this is not his most effective book. I found many of Zinnser's asides entertaining, particularly the narrative describing a trip to Timbuktu and the experience of Bedouin lifestyle; but as examples intended to help me better my own writing I rate them only fair. I did not find them overbearingly political as another reviewer has commented. The style advice in the first few chapters was marginally helpful, but my suspicion is that Zinsser tried to cover too much ground with too few pages.
Of course, as this very review shows, I'm no great shakes as a writer. However, for the starting writer who wants one or two good initial book purchases, I would recommend two other books that inspired me a bit more than this one did. First, Strunk & White's _The Elements of Style_ is the best style manual around (page for page.) As soon as I actually started reading it (after getting over the memories of having to buy this in college) its genius became apparent. Second, for sheer, irreverent essay writing inspiration, _Sin Boldly!_ by David R. Williams is a winner. Start with these two, and you'll be primed for more!
Rating: 
Summary: An invaluable guide to effective writing.
Review: This well-presented, easy-to-read, and simple-to-understand book aimed at nonfiction writers, but from which fiction writers can also benefit, is an invaluable guide to achieving good writing through the continued use of the fundamental principles and practical insights it offers.
Written for both beginners and professionals in a strong, clear and straightforward style, it teaches how to avoid bad writing by following a methodological approach to creating, shaping and self-editing your ideas in prose.
Although sometimes the author's voice can come across as arrogant and boastful, making your read somewhat less pleasurable, I can assure you that only sound, concrete advice is presented here, free of fluff or tiring verbiage and illustrated by excellent examples that consistently emphasize the differences between correct and incorrect writing.
Divided in four parts, each made up of numerous, concise, and easy to consult chapters, it includes topics such as simplicity, style, usage, unity, leads, endings, and audience. Special attention is devoted to various types of nonfiction writing, including interviews, travel articles, memoirs, business writing, scientific and technological writing, sports articles, humor, criticisms and periodical columns.
Overall, this is one guide that can't afford to be missing from your bookshelf if you are serious about writing in a polished, well-defined and sharp style. As you write, you will find yourself referring to it again and again.
For other books that focus on teaching good writing through the use of the tools of language, I also recommend Strunk's "The Elements of Style" and O'Conner's "Woe Is I" and "Words Fail Me".
Rating:
Summary: Good reference for all types of writers
Review: William Zinsser's book, On Writing Well, has been a popular guide to writing for many audiences. It has been used by undergraduate and graduate students and by aspiring and professional writers. I was recommended this book by a professor when I was in grauduate school. I never took the time to read the book until recently. I found Part I and II of the book to be too simplistic and bland. Zinsser spends more time describing and discussing grammar than actually demonstrating and explaining. There are no examples of grammar just descriptions of how to use it. Perhaps, Zinsser wanted to place more emphasis on writing than grammar in the book. It is not until Part III-Forms that Zinsser addresses how to write about a specific topic. He discusses writing topics such as nonfiction, interviews, travel, memoirs, business, sports, arts and humor. I found this to be the most helpful section of the book. Part IV-Attitudes describes the role and importance of writing style and decisions in writing. If you are looking for a book that teaches grammar or is a reference guide for grammar, this is not it. This book is a reference guide for writers. If you want to learn more about writing particular types of articles or books, refer to Part III-Forms.
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