Official Review: How to Write an Essay by Scribendi

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casper
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Official Review: How to Write an Essay by Scribendi

Post by casper »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "How to Write an Essay" by Scribendi.com.]

This book aims to teach students how to write an A grade essay and to provide them with a system that will serve them time and again throughout their college or university careers.

Based on the premise that most people aren't actually taught how to write an essay, this guide shows how it's done in a logical, five stage process, from initial planning to the final revision. On the way, it analyses the different types of essay, the various components in essay construction, and warns against plagiarism.

It starts by considering what the instructor will be looking for, and then goes on to discuss researching the topic. It recommends a wealth of sources and advises on how to use them, and gives clarification of exactly what constitutes plagiarism and what its repercussions can be. There are examples of how to cite correctly and ways to code sources that will help in organizing the material. There is advice on how to write the essay, keeping it unified and coherent, and, finally, how to revise and edit the essay.

The student will also find additional tips on how to save time creating a bibliography and editing, ways to keep organized, and how to be more efficient. It suggests sources of grammar training and pays more attention to the finish and the overall appearance of the essay than other guides I have read. There is analysis of examples at every stage to illustrate all the points covered, with a specimen A grade essay in the appendix.

The book is written in a friendly, readable style and the process of essay writing is clearly laid out. It has a realistic approach and understands the distractions facing students; it makes allowance for procrastination, and even comes up with ways to research and write that last minute essay.

This guide is concise and to the point, and keeps the process as simple as possible, unlike similar works that divide it into too many stages and introduce over-complicated, diagrammatic planning. It includes additional information missing from some more basic guides such as dealing with citations and bibliographies, and it also contains useful insight into what is expected from the student.

I think this is a well written and valuable guide for any student and I am giving it four stars. At times it may appear to state the obvious, but, of course, what is apparent to one person may not be to another. It stood up well when I compared it with other works on the subject, indeed, it included more information than most in several areas. I did spot the typo: 'If you’re enrolled at an academic institutions...', but haven't deducted any marks!

The guide itself acknowledges that some tips are simple and may seem like common sense, while others are more complex and will require practice, but anyone following the steps in this book should find the task of essay writing less painful: it might even become enjoyable!

I would recommend this book to anyone faced with an essay to write. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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paatjam
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Post by paatjam »

The book sounds quite interesting. Teaching the system of writing is needed and may appeal to a variety
of student's learning styles. I would have to read the book and take out some of the kernels of knowledge.
whero
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Post by whero »

Good to know there is a book out there that actually helps with such a painful task. I will always remember the confusion of trying to write essays at university when I had had little previous experience. I wish I'd had this book back then :p
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