Business Writing: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly illustrates how principles of effective communication can be used to improve the clarity of any business document. Through numerous before-and-after examples, Business Writing shows how to apply an explicit yet flexible structure to convert a confused communication into a clear and compelling message. Examples of the approach are provided for e-mails, memos, reports, proposals, executive summaries, cover letters, status reports, and minutes of meetings. The approach has been used for over 60 years to teach communication skills to professionals at leading American companies.Organizing Ideas, a companion volume, explains the principles of effective communication and shows how to use them to identify your key message and develop a persuasive argument to support it. Special chapters show how to compose effective e-mail, prepare presentations that are conceptually clear and visually appealing, and write documentation that people actually read. Organizing Ideas also teaches nine simple principles for editing to ensure that your paragraphs and sentences are easy to read and understand.

An anthology Malcolm Gladwell has called "riveting and indispensable," The Best Business Writing is a far-ranging survey of business's dynamic relationship with politics, culture, and life. This year's selections include John Markoff (New York Times) on innovations in robot technology and the decline of the factory worker; Evgeny Morozov (New Republic) on the questionable value of the popular TED conference series and the idea industry behind it; Paul Kiel (ProPublica) on the ripple effects of the ongoing foreclosure crisis; and the infamous op-ed by Greg Smith, published in the New York Times, announcing his break with Goldman Sachs over its trading practices and corrupt corporate ethos. Jessica Pressler (New York) delves into the personal and professional rivalry between former spouses and fashion competitors Tory and Christopher Burch. Peter Whoriskey (Washington Post) exposes the human cost of promoting pharmaceuticals for off-label uses. Charles Duhigg and David Barboza (New York Times) investigate Apple's unethical labor practices in China. Max Abelson (Bloomberg) reports on Wall Street's amusing reaction to the diminishing annual bonus. Mina Kimes (Fortune) recounts the grisly story of a company's illegal testing—and misuse—of a medical device for profit, and Jeff Tietz (Rolling Stone) composes one of the most poignant and comprehensive portraits of the financial crisis's dissolution of the American middle class.

Whereas most books and courses on business writing merely review the rules of grammar and punctuation, the Spence & Company approach teaches how to organize ideas and information into documents and presentations that are clear and persuasive. The approach, which Spence & Company has taught to professionals at leading American companies since 1953, is explained in two books: Organizing Ideas: The Key to Effective Communication and Business Writing: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Organizing Ideas shows how to use time-tested principles of effective communication to identify your key message and construct a persuasive argument to support it. You will learn to select, organize, and present information in a manner that addresses the needs and concerns of your audience. Special chapters show how to compose effective e mail, prepare engaging presentations, and write documentation that people actually read. Organizing Ideas also teaches how to revise your writing and create a final draft. Applying nine simple principles for editing will ensure that your paragraphs and sentences convey your ideas and information clearly and concisely. You will learn, as well, to design presentation slides that are conceptually clear and visually appealing. Business Writing: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly illustrates how the principles explained in Organizing Ideas can be applied to improve the clarity of standard business documents, such as e-mails, memos, reports, proposals, executive summaries, status reports, and minutes of meetings. Business Writing also provides numerous examples of how to convert a confused communication into a clear and compelling message.

A Plain-English Guide to Government Writing Whether you're in the public or private sector, good writing skills are critical to your success in the workplace. Plain Language in Government Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide shows you how to apply federal plain-language guidelines to every type of writing — from emails, memos, and letters to agency communications, technical procedures, and budget justification statements. Through numerous exercises as well as examples from a variety of federal and state agencies, this practical guide walks you step-by-step through every phase of the writing process, providing tips for improved clarity, conciseness, and completeness. This valuable reference will help you: Write for diverse audiences in reader-friendly, plain language Overcome writer's block Gain confidence in your ability to write — and get results Make your writing visually appealing Prepare for briefings and presentations Recognize successful writing and identify what makes it effective A Plain-English Guide to Government Writing will enable you to express yourself more clearly and concisely, produce documents more efficiently, and work more effectively with others throughout the writing process.