Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job

by Walter E. Oliu, Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alred

Combining clear advice on the writing process and almost 250 model documents from real workplace settings, Writing That Works sets the standard for business writing books. It reflects today’s electronic workflow, addresses the most current types of business documents, in print and online, and provides practical, informative guidelines on designing documents, considering audience and purpose, and using digital technology in the workplace. The free companion Web site supports and expands upon the information in every chapter and offers tutorials, additional model documents, expanded Digital Tips, and much more.

Genres: Writing, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Business, School, Self Help

736 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Read in Uni*

[Jake Jeffries · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a boring read. I didn't expect it to be thrilling due to the topic at hand, but it was textbook required for a college course. It does have some great examples and does an effective job for shining light on professional writing. One of the things that drove me up the wall the most about this book is how it handled referencing figures. You would be on one page and it would say reference figure 11 and then you look for figure 11 and it is no where on either page you are open to. The latest figure on the page is figure 2. Well, 10+ pages later there is figure 11... I took off a whole star because of this. I recognize that it might not be something that bothers everyone, so if that it the case then add a star when factoring in this review.

[Deyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't lie, reading this felt a bit like a chore sometimes but the documents and examples in this text are incredibly useful, especially in beginning to tackle the business genres of writing!

[Phillip · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is only the second business writing textbook I've read/taught from, and my standards for business writing books were never high in the first place. But this is incredibly boring. Even by the standards of a textbook, and by the standards of a business writing textbook. It's just a chore to read this book.

That being said, the material in it is fine, it's just hard to really appreciate that because of how bland and off-putting the writing is.

[Nikki Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for basic standards on workplace writing. It's a boring read but helpful for specific situations.

[Photina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has a lot of good examples and visuals to help the reader learn formatting, writing, and other aspects of business communications.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

best for us