Verb Your Enthusiasm: How to Master the Art of the Verb and Transform Your Writing
(Kaufman, Particular, £20)
Below you will find two versions of each of four book reviews. The first in each case is the one I submitted to the editor of Teach Secondary magazine, while the second in each case is the version he actually published. .
My version
Verb Your Enthusiasm
(Kaufman, Particular, £20)
No book about the craft of writing seems to be complete without a stern chapter on the importance of eschewing adverbs and adjectives. But what to put in their place?
Kaufman provides a very detailed and highly readable answer. It is quite an eye-opener to discover the degree of heavy lifting the humble verb can do, and it’s refreshing to be told not to utilise certain words but to use verbs instead. Kaufman even encourages us to invent verbs, as long as the meaning is clear. After all, if that was good enough for Shakespeare….
There is a fascinating – and useful – chapter on what studies in cognitive science tell us about how the brain responds to different verbs, giving the writer another aspect to consider.
The “Good Habits” section which rounds off each chapter provides the reader with homework, such as responding to a prompt.
This is both enjoyable and informative.
Reviewed by Terry Freedman
Published version
No book about the craft of writing seems complete without a stern chapter on the importance of eschewing adverbs and adjectives - but what to put in their place?
Kaufman has put together an eye-opening guide to the degree of heavy lifting the humble verb can do, and it’s certainly refreshing to be told to use them over certain other types of words. Kaufman even encourages us to invent some new verbs of our own, so long as the meanings are clear. After all, if it was good enough for Shakespeare...
There’s also a fascinating chapter on what cognitive science has revealed about how the brain responds to different verbs, as well as ‘Good Habits’ sections that round off each chapter and provide readers with homework, such as responding to a prompt.
A book that’s as enjoyable as it is informative.
Reviewed by Terry Freedman
This review was first published in Teach Secondary magazine. To comment on it, and to read an alternative version, please read this: Compare and Contrast #9
