Analyzing prose /

Unlike most how-to books on essay writing, Lanham's leads the reader through an examination of different writers' texts, pinpointing stylistic devices one is not supposed to use if one aspires to effective communication. Most handbooks stress using CBS ("clarity, brevity, and sincerity") as a basis of teaching writing assessment, which creates questions and problems. In this updated edition of a title first published in 1983, Lanham wants the reader to forget message-only prose. In "Parataxis and Hypotaxis," he offers clear examples of the differences between his technique and others' and demonstrates how other techniques help the writer present information through sentence structure. He goes on to explain the periodic style and the running style with more useful examples. Lanham states that when one reads literature, one expects to see certain characteristics of style, but when one writes or teaches writing, one expects to see only content. In the last chapter, Lanham looks at the electronic text and its characteristics. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals. C. H. McWilliams Austin Peay State University