For Further Reading

Dumaine, Deborah, and the Better Communications^® Team. Instant-Answer Guide to Business Writing. Lincoln, NE: Writers Club Press, 2003. If you do lots of writing, this definitive reference work should be on your shelf. Organized alphabetically, it contains expert advice and examples on all points of grammar, punctuation, writing style, the use of presentation graphs, and much more.

Dumaine, Deborah, and the Better Communications^® Team. Write to the Top: Writing for Corporate Success, New York: Random House, 2004 (revised edition). A time-saving, step-by-step approach to writing business documents that drive action.

Ekman, Paul. Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992. Ekman, one of the world’s experts on this subject, reveals how to spot clues that what you’re hearing is not the truth.

Fielden, John S. “What Do You Mean You Don’t Like My Style?” Harvard Business Review, May–June 1982. The appropriate style of a written message varies with the purpose of the message and the relationship between the writer and the reader. This article explains how to determine the best style for many typical business situations. Though first published in 1982, the article remains timely and the best source on the subject. Reprints are available through Harvard Business Online at <www.hbsp.harvard.edu>.

Munter, Mary. Guide to Managerial Communication. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.An excellent guide to effective business writing and speaking. The book contains a very good section on the use of visual aids.

Strunk,William Jr., E. B.White, and Roger Angell. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000.This timeless little book, whose origins go back to the 1930s, has been the English language’s most effective advocate for clear, concise, and more effective writing. Buy it. Read it. Follow its advice.