getAbstract Summary: Get the key points from this book in 10 minutes.

Psycholinguist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker thinks the time has come for a new writers guide for a new century. He’s hopeful about the state of the English language. Contrary to purist hand-wringing, the English language isn’t deteriorating, Pinker says, but is very much alive. The challenge lies in using it to express yourself well. To help you reach that goal, Pinker’s erudite guide explains – with helpful examples – what makes writing coherent, compelling and clear. He offers his personal lists of terms and expressions to watch for – those that he thinks the traditional language police are too fussy about and those that he’s convinced writers must never misuse. You’ll find yourself thumbing the handy glossary when you need to reacquaint yourself with terms like “determinatives” and “genitives.” Because Pinker’s complex discussions of style and sentence trees may prove daunting for the beginner, this book won’t replace classic manuals like Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. However, getAbstract believes this is an important addition to the bookshelves of experienced writers who want an inspiring refresher course on writing prose that’s a pleasure to read.  

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© 2014
From THE SENSE OF STYLE by Steven Pinker. Summarized by arrangement with Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.