The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking Like a Professional

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The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking Like a Professional

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 12 ratings · 9 reviews

Effective writing and speaking are critical for all students and professionals in this challenging and competitive world. Professional level writing and speaking depend on only a handful of easy-to-understand principles.The Gettysburg Approach goes straight to the foundations, defines these principals and explains how to apply them.Through a variety of examples and simple...more

Paperback, 286 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Indi Best, Indi Publishing Group

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Jun 18, 2011 Britni rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would describe this book was informational, well-written, and helpful but not fun or anything close to it. I did read it quickly and was intrigued by the ideas, but I think a lot of that comes from being an English major and doing a lot of writing on a daily basis.

For me the best part of this book wasn't about the writing, it was about the public speaking. I've read quite a few books on writing and really have yet to see something that I haven't heard before. Every book says it a little differ...more

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Nov 05, 2010 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com

Author Phillip A. Yaffe is a professional writer who teaches in Brussels, Belgium. In this textbook, he offers logical and simple guidelines on how to become a better writer and speaker.

Basing his pattern on Abraham Lincoln's most famous speech, Yaffe provides a handbook that includes theory of writing, examples, and exercises. His first section covers writing like a professional, while the second part of the book discusses oral presentations.

Ya...more

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Nov 04, 2010 Dwayne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, for-review

Reviewed @ Girls Without a Bookshelf.

I have always been a public speaker and a writing enthusiast, but even I will admit I am an amateur when it comes to speaking and writing with excellence. I have never sought help from a book like this though - but there is always a first for everything right?

Clearly, by not doing so, I am missing out. It turns out, there is a lot of information and help out there available to those who wish to write more concisely and speak persuasively. This is one of those...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

PROS:

1. I found this book to offer a lot of useful information for putting together an argument. It teaches you not only how to state your goal, but how to word things that make people respect it even if they don't agree with it.
2. While the book is actually only 127 pages long, the appendices are even longer. However, I could argue they offer more help that the first part of the book. It has examples and explanations that help the reader process the steps in their mind without feeling like an...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Chip Etier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Was learning grammar easy for you? It was for me. I could tell when something was not correct just because it "sounded" wrong. Subject -- verb agreement and the conjugation of the verb, "be" apparently had been taught to me through usage and example well enough that when I got to school, it just seemed natural. Experience certainly provided an excellent foundation upon which to build as the school system continued to teach grammar all the way through high school. It has served me well and Philip...more Was learning grammar easy for you? It was for me. I could tell when something was not correct just because it "sounded" wrong. Subject -- verb agreement and the conjugation of the verb, "be" apparently had been taught to me through usage and example well enough that when I got to school, it just seemed natural. Experience certainly provided an excellent foundation upon which to build as the school system continued to teach grammar all the way through high school. It has served me well and Philip Yaffe, the author of The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking Like a Professional agrees with the concept. "Few good writers and speakers [seldom think about fundamental writing principles while writing:], because somehow they have assimilated them without ever actually having been taught them." Mr. Yaffe feels that the underlying core elements of the discipline of writing have not been sufficiently noticed or taught. Inspired by Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the author sets out to provide for this insufficiency.

The Gettysburg Approach appropriately begins with the famous speech that legend claims was written on the back of an envelope. Surprisingly, there is no further reference to the work until Appendix "J" wherein we find a detailed examination of the 272 word classic. Using the same fundamentals and techniques presented earlier in the book, Yaffe presents a chapter that alone is worth the investment in his book. As a bonus, we also discover he has included a similar examination of the "Marc Anthony" soliloquy from Julius Caesar. The similarities are remarkable and the inspiration doubled.

Between the two appearances of President Lincoln's masterpiece we find the book separated into three sections: writing, oral presentations, and thirteen appendices(more than half the book) which include examples, analysis, reviews, and for the serious student, exercises. In "Fundamentals of Good Writing", Mr. Yaffe accomplishes his goal of drawing attention to the underlying principles and techniques that make these key elements so effective. Being aware of and using them will help writers of any level of experience produce better work. Many of his tips and suggestions will be familiar to serious writers. Other ideas and techniques presented strike the professional and novice like a ray suddenly emerging from behind the clouds. Just as with my grammar experience in school, I discovered several things I'm doing as a writer that are correct. Now I know why and can continue to do them on purpose with greater confidence. In addition, I am enthusiastically employing new ideas and techniques gleaned from Yaffe's thorough examination.

Unfortunately, there is little I can endorse in the section on public speaking. We do agree on the importance of thorough preparation and the requirement that the speaker be enthusiastic about his subject and delivery. My career has included professional speaking, teaching speakers, and many hours of being an audience member. In my experience, several suggestions in The Gettysburg Approach have been proven unreliable at best and disastrous at worst. Memorizing and/or reading speeches (either professional or informal), planned body language, and reading power point presentations are torture for the audience. Public speaking is something best learned by doing. Choose a safe environment where attention is given to what you do correctly. You don't need an "ah" counter. And remember, the average attention span of adults is about seven minutes.

Buy The Gettysburg Approach [it will be available after March 15, 2010:] for the sections on writing. Refer to it many times and, if possible, complete the challenge of the exercises. Use this book and you will become a better writer.
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Jul 21, 2010 Tara rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy reading writing guides, especially ones coming from a different perspective, as books tend to repeat the same information. The author is a former feature writer for The Wall Street Journal, so his approach is journalistic-which is not a bad viewpoint for authors to be exposed to. I have the tendency to write long, so his tips for reducing unnecessary words or fog factor (words that in a text cause reduced clarity) was very helpful, especially as I go into revisions. I can look for those...more

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Sep 25, 2010 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, blog_etb, non-fiction, reviewed, challenge-1010

I received this ebook for review from the author.

I consider myself to be something of a stickler for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and capitalization. I have always had a knack for grammar, even though I am not an expert on the rules, and certainly don't know them upside down and backwards, I generally have a feel for them, and not to toot my own horn too much, I'm often right.

Even though I was interested in the book due to the subject matter, grammar is hardly exciting reading, so I w...more I received this ebook for review from the author.

I consider myself to be something of a stickler for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and capitalization. I have always had a knack for grammar, even though I am not an expert on the rules, and certainly don't know them upside down and backwards, I generally have a feel for them, and not to toot my own horn too much, I'm often right.

Even though I was interested in the book due to the subject matter, grammar is hardly exciting reading, so I was slightly nervous that the book might be dry, boring or tedious. It wasn't. I found the book to be interesting, informative, personable, and even funny at times. Yaffe sprinkled anecdotes throughout the text which lightened the tone of the book, and made it feel as if it was a friendly tutoring session rather than a pre-final lecture.

This book focused on expository writing, such as training documents, memos, articles, newsletters, etc, more than writing for entertainment or enjoyment. I am not a professional journalist or writer, but I do use written communication and presentations in my day-to-day work, and while I feel like I am a good communicator, I still feel as though I picked up some useful information here.

My favorite tip was the "inverted pyramid" and related tests. The inverted pyramid is a method of writing which structures your text into a lead-in section and then the supporting details in the body. The lead-in should contain all of the most important and informative information regarding the subject, and the body should contain the details which provide additional information. There are two related tests which go hand-in-hand with this method: the "Stop Reading Test" and the "Q&A Test".

The Stop Reading Test is designed to ensure that busy readers can glean as much information as possible, as quickly as possible, from your writing. The test helps to indicate how much of the article or text a person would have to read in order to obtain a full understanding of the topic -- the more they have to read, the more likely the text should be rewritten more concisely and to the point, so that a reader can stop reading after the first paragraph and still understand the entire text's purpose.

The Q&A Test is designed to answer potential questions in the body of the text to support the lead-in. As a writer adds sentences, they should anticipate questions that the reader may have, and answer them, so that by the end of the text, the reader has a full understanding of the information provided.

These are brilliant tips that I wish were used more often, especially in the workplace. I detest having to read through pages and pages of a document just to learn one bit of information that could have been explained in a paragraph-long brief up front. I wish that this technique was used more widely!

In addition to these, Yaffe's book contains many examples, exercises, tips and guidelines to help mold us into better communicators. This includes orally speaking and presenting information, which is just as important in the professional world as writing is. There are subtle differences that one should bear in mind between the different types of communication, because they are similar, but using only one set of methods for both will result in a failure to engage and interest your audience.

I found this book to be enlightening and informative, and with the exception of two typos, very well written and helpful. I would definitely recommend this to those people looking to improve their professional communication, both written and spoken. (less)

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Jun 03, 2010 Madeleine Rex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, to-review

Philip Yaffe’s The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking Like a Professional so clearly teaches the fundamental necessities of professional writing and speaking in an intelligible way that anyone could understand. He strips the layers off one by one and addresses every miniscule question he poses. Though I cannot honestly say I loved the book, I respect its depth and conciseness. The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking Like a Professional is a fantastic book for those who find...more

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May 21, 2010 Clayton Bye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: instructional, non-fiction

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Jul 25, 2012 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jun 07, 2012 Tyler marked it as to-read

Jun 18, 2011 Shouq marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 02, 2010 Velvet rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Aug 27, 2010 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jun 16, 2010 Peace Love and Reviews marked it as to-read

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About Philip A. Yaffe

Philip A. Yaffe is an author, former feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. Born in Boston, Mr. Yaffe teaches writing and public speaking in Brussels, Belgium, where he has lived for more than thirty years.

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