Write to the point: a master class on the fundamentals of writing for any purpose

Good writers follow the rules. Great writers know the rules-and follow their instincts!

Finding the right words, in the right order, matters-whether you're a student embarking on an essay, a job applicant drafting your cover letter, an employee composing an email…even a (hopeful) lover writing a text. Do it wrong and you just might get an F, miss the interview, lose a client, or spoil your chance at a second date.

Do it right, and the world is yours.

In Write to the Point, accomplished author and literary critic Sam Leith kicks the age-old lists of dos and don'ts to the curb. Yes, he covers the nuts and bolts we need in order to be in complete command of the language: grammar, punctuation, parts of speech, and other subjects half-remembered from grade school. But for Leith, knowing not just the rules but also how and when to ignore them-developing an ear for what works best in context-is everything. In this master class, Leith teaches us a skill of paramount importance in this smartphone age, when we all carry a keyboard in our pockets: to write clearly and persuasively for any purpose-to write to the point.

"Leith breaks down how to write anything for any occasion. Though the mission may seem like an ambitious undertaking, Leith is wildly successful . . . will morph even the most timid email-senders into confident writers." -Booklist

"A useful, persuasive guide to English usage." -The Guardian