WRITE FOR YOUR LIFE by Charles Wheelan is, per the subtitle, intended to be "A Guide to Clear and Purposeful Writing (and Presentations)." Wheelan has written numerous texts including Naked Economics (in our curriculum for years), Naked Statistics and We Came, We Saw, We Left. In his latest, he offers suggestions for Getting Started, Making it Better, and Buffing and Polishing both writing and speaking. Wheelan notes that these ideas came from a list which he had been compiling for his undergraduate students; his focus is on "clear, straightforward language; a comprehensive narrative structure; rigorous editing; and even humor if it serves to make a point." Like Wheelan's students at University of Chicago or Dartmouth College, many of our students need more practice in writing well and clearly expressing their thoughts. Wheelan asks his readers, "Can you communicate in ways that inform, inspire, and motivate? Can you articulate your ideas so that they lead to the intended outcome?" He explains concepts and "rules" they have likely heard before – know your purpose, know your audience(s), craft a clear thesis. I particularly liked his section on making an outline because our students do struggle with that and he uses relevant examples (e.g., writing letters of recommendation) to illustrate his point. WRITE FOR YOUR LIFE is full of engaging anecdotes and real life examples, including those from Winston Churchill, Hillary Clinton, and Elena Kagan. I am looking forward to sharing this manual with English teachers and our students.

Charles Wheelan's work starts off well-enough, speaking about the power of writing...how significant it is for everyone to have a voice and what good writing can accomplish in this world. However, ultimately, the work starts to flounder a bit as it progresses. The second part of the book is just basic material that speaks about what to do as it pertains to academic writing, which one has seen multiple times in multiple textbooks. So, I appreciate the sentiment but the execution is not as strong as it could be.

Write For Your Life
A Guide to Clear and Purposeful Writing (and Presentations)
by: Charles Wheelan
W. W. Norton & Company
pub date: May 10, 2022
genre: Nonfiction (Adult), Reference

Write For Your Life is a valuable resource for anyone who writes or presents. While an especially good tool for those who write professionally, it can also be very handy for use in writing and communicating for hobbies, clubs, organizations, or church.

Wheelan was motivated by his teaching career to share how language can be used for effective communication through writing and speaking. He introduces his book with an engaging personal example, and provides examples of anecdotes from publications and public figures throughout the work.

I found this book to be chock full of useful points, all presented in an absorbing format. It is well-organized and concise. From knowing your audience to establishing what you need to say, guidance is given on structure, format, organization, and tools. Wheelan's examples, scenarios, and
detailed specific tips are applicable, practical, and functional. The points on how to arrange paragraphs are wonderful!

I wish I had been given access to a book such as this prior to college and again as I started my career in education. This resource is both instructional and engaging, meeting the goals of the author and exceeding my expectations.

Thank you to Net Galley and W. W. Norton & Company for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#WriteforYourLife #NetGalley

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very helpful book. I definitely recommend it!