Reviews of Writing Books

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The Dimwit's Dictionary by Robert Hartwell Fiske
Marion Street Press, August, 2002
Paperback, 400 pages
ISBN: 0966517679
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

The Dimwit's Dictionary
by Robert Hartwell Fiske

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, 2002
Trade Paperback, 451 pages
ISBN: 1572307951
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

Getting the Whole Story
by Cheryl Gibbs and Tom Warhover

Getting the Whole Story
by Cheryl Gibbs and Tom Warhover

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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Reviews of Writing Books

The Dimwit's Dictionary by Robert Hartwell Fiske

Getting the Whole Story: Reporting and Writing the News by Cheryl Gibbs and Tom Warhover