The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing

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The Nuts and Bolts College Writing
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  1. Kindle Edition: 103 pages: 1 item
  2. Publisher: Hackett Publishing Co.; 2010-04-10
  3. Author: Michael Harvey
  4. Format: Kindle eBook
  5. Sales Rank in Books: #83030

Product Review

Engagingly written and illustrated with scores of telling examples, this plainspoken how-to book for college writers identifies those qualities that most typically distinguish good writing from bad and provides practical measures for avoiding pitfalls.Included are do's and don'ts for achieving concision, clarity, and flow, as well as pointers on using punctuation, writing gracefully, citing sources, and structuring persuasive writing.Championing "the plain style" with a keen appreciation for the uses to which language can be put—including abuses to which it is prone—The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing is a guide that never fails to remind readers why good writing matters so much in the first place, in college and beyond.

Product Description

Engagingly written and illustrated with scores of telling examples, this plainspoken how-to book for college writers identifies those qualities that most typically distinguish good writing from bad and provides practical measures for avoiding pitfalls.Included are do's and don'ts for achieving concision, clarity, and flow, as well as pointers on using punctuation, writing gracefully, citing sources, and structuring persuasive writing.Championing "the plain style" with a keen appreciation for the uses to which language can be put—including abuses to which it is prone—The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing is a guide that never fails to remind readers why good writing matters so much in the first place, in college and beyond.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)

66 of 73 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Hip, Handy, and Highly Literate, November 13, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing (Paperback)
I first encountered "Nuts and Bolts" several years ago, when it was just a web-site. Back then, Yahoo! gave it one of their "cool sites" awards (complete with cute little sunglasses.) It became such a hit on the web, Hackett decided to give Professor Harvey a publishing contract. Its great that they did, because the other college writing handbooks are either deadly dull or sprouting whiskers. Nuts and Bolts is neither dry nor bewhiskered -- it is hip, handy, and highly literate. This new book could (and should) evict Strunk and White, Turabian, Chicago Style Book, and all the other has-beens and never-weres as the one book every college student (yes, including science majors) should carry in their book bag. (Dissertation-writers may still need Chicago for their fine brush-work, but everyone else will find this jack-of-all-topics addresses most high-school and college needs.)What's so great about this book? Essentially, it provides one-stop shopping for the...Read more


23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Cure for Mediocre Writing, October 5, 2005
SCOTT A. MACPHEE (Coeur d'Alene, ID United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing (Paperback)
I use this book in my AP Language and Composition class. My Seniors suffer all the typical problems . . . wordiness, imprecise use of language, poor introductions and conclusions, and weak transitions. Nuts and Bolts addresses all of these, and does so in a clear, convincing manner.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to tighten his writing.


32 of 36 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate Guide to Writing, October 20, 2003
Crazy Mel W "crazymel" (San Marcos, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing (Paperback)
I have taught English at the college level since 1989 and spend a great deal of time treating just the same errors that this text redresses. If you are an English instructor, I would highly encourage you to buy this book and consider adopting it for your classes. If you seek to write better prose, it would behoove you to buy this book, read it, and put its lessons into practice. Michael Harvey writes clearly and does not ask you to do anything stupid. I have never found a book that does that. Believe me, I have looked.

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