About the Book
An Amazon #1 bestseller, How to Write Anything combines unique approach to writing with a comprehensive encyclopedia of over 200 writing tasks, complete with model outlines, dos and donʼts, and examples—designed to help you get through all of lifeʼs writing tasks.
Writing at Work offers advice on everyday documents like résumés and business e-mails, and it also includes forms such as the business apology, instant message, interview follow-up, Facebook status update, and resignation letter.
Writing in Your Personal Life includes helpful tips spanning thank you notes, apologies, wedding invitations, notes to teachers, condolence messages, and obituaries.
Writing at School covers the basics of note taking and bibliographies, the compare/contrast essay, lab reports, and school newspaper articles. It also offers tips on written communications for the academic environment, such as e-mails requesting a recommendation from a teacher or professor.
Grounded in a common-sense approach, friendly and supportive, How to Write Anything is Internet-savvy, with advice throughout about choosing the most appropriate medium for your message: e-mail or pen and paper. At once a how-to, a reference book, and a pioneering guide for writing in a changing world, this is the only writing resource you’ll ever need.
Reviews
“Now, this is a reference book worth owning! Brown offers crisp, succinct advice on how to write better complaint letters, business emails, apology notes, and much more. Especially helpful are the visual "Do" and "Don't" charts next to each example.”
— Entertainment Weekly
“Laura Brown has written the ultimate guide for anyone who needs to create clear, concise, and compelling written communications. Students, business people, and even seasoned professional writers should keep it handy, right between their dictionary and thesaurus.”
— Michael Snell, literary agent, writing collaborator, and author of From Book Idea to Bestseller
“There has never been a guide as comprehensive as this to writing in all its forms…. Useful, clear, and encyclopedic, this book is an essential guide for every household.”
— The Examiner
“An invaluable guide. If your job or your business depends on delivering clear messages with impact, you need this book.”
— Bernd Schmitt, Robert D. Calkins Professor of International Business, Columbia Business School
“As a writing instructor of over thirty years, I know full well the demands upon young writers. Laura Brown answers the tough questions on how to get started, how to craft tone for a target readership, how to develop succinct content, and how to master argumentation.”
— Roger Marheine, Assistant Professor, Pasadena City College
“To author a book called How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide, you have to be foolish, delusional, or be Laura Brown, who pulls it off with grace and wisdom. Brown provides readers with an overview of the writing process—the infrastructure on which all writing is built—and specific strategies for hundreds of situations. Of course, eventually writers have to face each task alone, but they will be well-equipped thanks to Laura Brown.”
— Alan Ziegler, author of The Writing Workshop Note Book
"Don't be fooled by its length--this short book is loaded with lots of practical advice that you can implement right away when you're writing at work. Whether you read it cover-to-cover or reach for it only when you need it, The Only Business Writing Book You'll Ever Need will make you a more effective communicator and save you time on all your writing tasks."
— Murray Low, Professor, Director of Entrepreneurship Education, Columbia Business School
“How to Write Anything is the first book I've seen that addresses the very core of writing for today's digital communications channels. The lessons in this book are for everybody.”
— Mary Olson, digital business design and development pioneer
“Laura Brown's ability as a writing coach is unparalleled, and How to Write Anything offers the best of her guidance on business writing. Laura has a gift for helping business writers focus, refine, and develop their ideas, and express those ideas in a compelling way. Whether you are a CEO or a first-time manager, How to Write Anything will help you craft your message for the highest possible impact.”
— Robert C. Daugherty, Executive Dean, Forbes School of Business.
“The alchemy of transforming big business ideas and technical information into elegant and practical prose requires a fine mix of artistry and craftsmanship. Laura Brown has been working this editorial magic in high-level business writing for years—including my projects--and I am happy to report that her new book lives up to its title. All other guides to the critical skill of business writing may now be obsolete.”
— Ming-Jer Chen, Leslie E. Grayson Professor, UVA Darden School of Business
Fellow and Former President, Academy of Management