Overview

From classic poetry to pop lyrics, from Charles Dickens to Dolly Parton, even from Jesus to James Bond, Mark Forsyth explains the secrets that make a phrase--such as ""O Captain! My Captain!"" or ""To be or not to be""--memorable. In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you're aiming to achieve literary immortality or just hoping to deliver the perfect one-liner, The Elements of Eloquence proves that you don't need to have anything important to say--you simply need to say it well. In an age unhealthily obsessed with the power of substance, this is a book that highlights the importance of style.

Full Product Details

9781469029955

Table of Contents

Reviews

""[Forsyth] succeeds in creating a book to be not just browsed but absorbed...Get ready to be impressed and entertained."" -- ""Library Journal, praise for The Horologicon"" ""Forsyth...has written a witty 'dictionary' of rhetorical sayings used in contemporary English-language writing. The structure of the book is as funny as it is intelligent...This enjoyable read is perfect for anyone interested in writing, literary humor, or the combination of the two."" -- ""Library Journal"" ""Snack-food style blends with health-food substance for a most satisfying meal."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews, praise for The Etymologicon"" ""The Facebook of books...Before you know it, you've been reading for an hour."" -- ""The Chicago Tribune, praise for The Etymologicon"" ""We can all agree that true eloquence is irresistible, but how do we achieve it in this shoddy age of hashtags and acronyms? This new book...dares to answer that question and he does it in the most entertaining ways, summonsing up examples from everyone from ancient orators and Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde and Dolly Parton."" -- ""Barnes & Noble, editorial review""

"""[Forsyth] succeeds in creating a book to be not just browsed but absorbed...Get ready to be impressed and entertained."" -- ""Library Journal, praise for The Horologicon"" ""Forsyth...has written a witty 'dictionary' of rhetorical sayings used in contemporary English-language writing. The structure of the book is as funny as it is intelligent...This enjoyable read is perfect for anyone interested in writing, literary humor, or the combination of the two."" -- ""Library Journal"" ""Snack-food style blends with health-food substance for a most satisfying meal."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews, praise for The Etymologicon"" ""The Facebook of books...Before you know it, you've been reading for an hour."" -- ""The Chicago Tribune, praise for The Etymologicon"" ""We can all agree that true eloquence is irresistible, but how do we achieve it in this shoddy age of hashtags and acronyms? This new book...dares to answer that question and he does it in the most entertaining ways, summonsing up examples from everyone from ancient orators and Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde and Dolly Parton."" -- ""Barnes & Noble, editorial review"""

Author Information

Born in London in 1977, Mark Forsyth (a.k.a The Inky Fool) was given a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary as a christening present and has never looked back. His book The Etymologicon was a Sunday Times Number One Bestseller and his TED Talk ""What's a snollygoster?"" has had more than half a million views. He has also written a specially commissioned essay ""The Unknown Unknown"" for Independent Booksellers Week and the introduction for the new edition of the Collins English Dictionary. He lives in London with his dictionaries, and blogs at blog.inkyfool.com. Don Hagen has been behind the microphone since fifth grade. He is a nine-time winner of the Peer Award for narration/voice-over and twice winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also been heard in radio and television commercials and documentaries. In addition to his freelance voice work, he is a member of the audiobook narration team at the Library of Congress.

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