Skip to content

The Sense of Style

The Sense of Style

The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century
EducationEssays
Pages
368
Published
2014
Language
English

Synopsis

Steven Pinker, a renowned linguist, offers a fresh perspective on writing clear and effective English. Drawing on insights from linguistics and cognitive science, this guide provides practical advice for writers seeking to improve their prose. It's a valuable resource for anyone who wants to communicate more effectively.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

InformativeIntellectualThought-ProvokingReflective

Genres

Education Essays

Authors

J
José C. Vales

José C. Vales is the author of The Sense of Style. He writes about language and how we use it.

S
Steven Pinker

Steven Arthur "Steve" Pinker is a Canadian-born American cognitive scientist, psychologist, linguist, and popular science author. He is Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, and is known for his advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind.

Frequently asked questions

  • How does this book differ from traditional style guides like Strunk and White?

    Unlike traditional manuals that often rely on arbitrary rules or prescriptive dogma, this book applies principles from cognitive science and linguistics to explain how the human mind processes language. It focuses on the mechanics of clarity and coherence by analyzing how readers build mental structures from text, rather than simply listing do's and don'ts.

  • Is this book intended only for academic or scientific writing?

    The advice is designed for any writer aiming to communicate effectively in the modern era, ranging from professional prose to everyday digital communication. It emphasizes the importance of empathy for the reader and the ability to reverse-engineer good writing, making it applicable to a wide variety of non-fiction contexts.