Writing in Style

What makes for good writing style: sparse or ornate, classical or practical? Questions about writing styles and the English language can be terribly confusing, but a recently released concise and surprisingly entertaining style guide by world-renowned cognitive scientist Steven Pinker is brimming with concrete examples and instructional guidelines to aid any writer.

 The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century is suitable for academics and professionals, as well as those who want to start a blog or begin a novel. Writing in today’s world has changed dramatically, evolving from the flowery prose of the 19th century into the more curt and straightforward style of the 20th century. Now, in the new millennium, Pinker argues that good writing needs clarity and simplicity. In an effort to avoid textese and Twitter-speak, Pinker has drawn on classical examples of good prose that apply the science of linguistics to the challenging craft of writing. He demonstrates, through his own sense of curiosity and delight, an enlightened view on how to think about writing that serves as a fascinating example of today’s complex communication styles.

Pinker is a professor of psychology at Harvard University. Named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World Today, Pinker is one of the world’s leading authorities on science and the mind. His writing appears frequently in publications including The New York Times, Time and The New Republic. Pinker will appear at Boswell Book Co. at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10.

Book Happening

Lorna Landvik

7 p.m., Oct. 15

Books & Company

1039 Summit Ave., Oconomowoc

Using her own adventurous past as an example, bestselling author and Minnesota native Lorna Landvik’s new book Best to Laugh follows Candy Pekkala from the Midwest to Hollywood as she pursues her dream of becoming a comedian. This hilarious, lively tale is filled with eccentric characters set amidst an engaging plotline.