Reviews of Writing Books
Page One of TwoThe Dimwit's Dictionary by Robert Hartwell Fiske
Marion Street Press, August, 2002Paperback, 400 pages
ISBN: 0966517679
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
The Dimwit's Dictionary provides alternatives
to thousands of overused words and phrases.
Writers can use the book to help them clean up
their prose by using the reference to quickly find
replacements for a word or phrase they have been
using too often. 5,000 words and phrases like "shot to
hell", "down to earth", "working stiff" and "piece of
cake" can be looked up in the dictionary to find
shorter alternative words.
This dictionary's author, Robert Hartwell Fiske, is also the editor of The Dictionary of Concise Writing: 10,000 Alternative to Wordy Phrases, another great reference for writers. Fiske is also the publisher of The Vocabula Review, an online journal about the English language. Writers will find the Dimwit's Dictionary handy for breaking writer's block and helping them find and replace overused phrases and words.
Getting the Whole Story: Reporting and Writing the News by Cheryl Gibbs and Tom Warhover
Guildford Press, September, 2002Trade Paperback, 451 pages
ISBN: 1572307951
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Getting the Whole Story is a comprehensive
introductory reference for journalists. It covers
news writing, interviewing, reporting, journalism
careers and ethics. The book provides information about
reporting skills: finding sources, interviewing,
observation and note-taking, framing stories,
using photographs, covering a beat
and writing features. The book also covers
specific news writing concepts, such as the
different types of news stories like the inverted
pyramid -- a story in which the most important
information is found at the top of the story. Other
topics covered in the book include journalists'
rights and responsibilities and information about
finding a journalism career.
Authors Cheryl Gibbs and Tom Warhover are both journalism professors with experience in the field. Cheryl Gibbs is an assistant professor of journalism at Earlham College and has worked as an editor, reporter and writer for two small newspapers. Tom Warhover is an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has also been a reporter and editor at the Virginian-Pilot. The authors give insight into how journalism and reporting work, with additional references and web links to more information. Exercises and discussion questions are also provided. Readers will come away from the book with an understanding of what journalism is, the kind of work editors and reporters do and the complex issues involved in the field of journalism. This is a excellent guide for novice journalists with information and answers on all aspects of journalism. Anyone interested in a career in journalism and improving their news writing and reporting skills will find this book very useful.
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