This review was submitted by mauzenne.
The best book on business writing ever. Barbara Minto has given us a step by step process for producing clear, brilliant, simple writing that will persuade as well as inform. It is not cheap, nor easy - but neither is running a $100 million business. If you think you can do the latter, try the former first. [ Because we've read your writing, and it's not very good. ;-) ] (Mike and Barbara are friends - she's sharp and wonderful.)
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I love this book.
As the review says - it's very hard work - but I keep it at my desk within arm's reach and refer to it all the time. It's worth the $ and don't be put off by having to order direct from Barbara - she's extremely helpful and accommodating.
--Peter
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Great book
I use the principles from this book all of the time when I'm working with my direct reports on organizing our thinking around problems and creating organized plans around those problems. The content is very practical.
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Yes, managers are mostly
Yes, managers are mostly inconsiderate. They give you lots of work during the end game. That sucks. - Missed Fortune
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Great concept - but where's the story?
I agree with the comments that this is good but hard work. I think it's a great concept and am already starting to use it in my report writing.
My difficulty is that the examples are all from a very similar perspective (management consultancy for commercial businesses). I work in the charitable (not for profit) sector and the gulf between the (unwritten) culture of the examples and the culture in our sector is huge.
I think my team could benefit hugely by applying the principles from this book. When I gave my colleague my copy to borrow she returned it within a week saying she 'couldn't get into it' and had stopped 'after the second chapter because I couldn't relate to any of the examples.'
I think future revisions of this book would benefit from changing some of the examples to reflect the working environments of a wider reading audience.
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