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The Art of Readable Writing Paperback – January 1, 1994

by Rudolf Flesch (Author), Alan J. Gould (Foreword)
4.2 out of 5 stars 12
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The Art of Readable Writing is an indispensable guide to writing fluently. Noted language maven Dr. Rudolf Flesch moves beyond his examination of and advice on grammar and usage in The Art of Plain Talk to the more general principles of style in contemporary writing. Drawing upon a wealth of material from sources as varied as Aristotle and Life magazine, Dr. Flesch shows us how we can write more simply and effectively. His famous Readability Formula, devised specially for this book, explains how to analyze writing for its clarity and interest. Entertaining and stimulating and crammed with commonsensical advice, The Art of Readable Writing is, above all, immensely readable.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    255 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Wiley
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1994
  5. Dimensions
    4.25 x 0.75 x 7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0020464703
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0020464709
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rudolf Flesch, PhD. is the author of over twenty books including The Art of Plain Talk and Johnny Can't Read.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wiley; Reissue edition (January 1, 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 255 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0020464703
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0020464709
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 0.75 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 12

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Joseph Eisele
5.0 out of 5 stars I like Rudolf
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2011
Verified Purchase
Published in 1949. Flesch's ideas about the English language are fresh and casual. A few of his examples are dated: He warns about using slang terms, and uses 'Gone', meaning Very Good, as an example: "The apple pie is gone." "Good, give me some of that gone apple pie."
4 people found this helpful
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Robert C. Newman
4.0 out of 5 stars Mae a Real Impact
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2010
Verified Purchase
I read this book nearly fifty years ago, when I was an undergraduate at Duke. At the time, I found it very helpful, and I believe it had a significant impact for the better on my writing style. This is not to say that my style is all that good, though I am sure that it would be considerably better if I had followed all of Flesh's advice. I am in the process of reading it again, together with a pair of internationals whom I am helping with their English. The thing I (and my brother) are finding is how dated the verbal illustrations and language are, now that the book (first published in 1949) is over sixty yers old!
5 people found this helpful
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Chavah Rochel Golden
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2013
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I'm happy. I got it early! Thank you for your dependability. I would use you again in a second. I am enjoying the book tremendously.
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Joy
2.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Non-Sexist Readable Writing.
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
I didn't find this writing readable, so I can't recommend this book. There is some very basic good advice in this text that seems rather common sense to me. BUT it is so buried in mile high sexism that I'm sure you can find good writing tips in a more modern, less biased text.
5 people found this helpful
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G. Kelley
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
Book was definitely what I needed. Than you.
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Bronx Book Nerd
5.0 out of 5 stars A great guide for writing clearly
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2013
This book provides a lot of helpful tips and advice on how to write clearly. Today's plain language advocates would do well to look at Flesch as a mentor. Flesch urges writers to get more concrete and less abstract by including things and people rather than concepts in their writing. He gives many examples that vividly illustrate his points. He gives advice, that is fairly common today, to use shorter words and sentences. He includes a measuring tool and guide to help the writer determine how readable their work is. I don't think one has to apply this rigorously; for me the idea is to do this by ear - you know when your writing sounds pompous or dense or simply boring. You can make it clear and bring it to life by following Flesch's advice. He has a lot more to offer, like showing why following some rules of grammar too strictly can lead to very bad effects, and even shows how Shakespeare and other greats of literature often broke the rules. This is a great book to help writers come down from their stuffy perches to reach the common man in plain English.
3 people found this helpful
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HDR
4.0 out of 5 stars great for the penmanship challenged
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2000
I gave this book to my little brother as a gift to improve his penmanship. Knowing that penmanship has alot to do with a persons attitude, i decided to try and change his penmanship because i couldnt change his attitude. This book has helped him tremendously. It did take some time and some practice, however, the results were well worth it.
5 people found this helpful
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Eric Bluestine
3.0 out of 5 stars Not among Flesch's best work
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2002
This book first appeared in 1949. In 1974, Flesch revised it by writing postscripts to each chapter. Basically he denounced much of what he had written 25 years earlier. If you're interested in learning about Flesch's readablility formula, I suggest you buy his book How to Write, Speak, and Think More Effectively, which, incidentally, is still in print and provides a good introduction to Flesch's work. My advice is to buy (used) the following books by Flesch, none of which are in print: 1) How to Make Sense (1954), 2) The Art of Clear Thinking (1951), 3) The Art of Plain Talk (1946), 4) How to be Brief (1962), and 5) Say What You Mean (1972). If you're still set on buying The Art of Readable Writing, I recommend that you buy the 25th Anniversary Edition (1974) with Flesch's improvements and corrections. I think you'll find that his postscripts are far more interesting than the original text.
50 people found this helpful
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