language but made music for a living wound up with a son who loves music but makes his
living with words.
But that's enough about me, because this book is not about me and my writing
credentials. It's about you, and how you can achieve the verbal advantage.
Verbal Advantage
is about definitions, so let's begin by defining the phrase “verbal
advantage.” What exactly is a “verbal advantage”? Does it suggest what smart, successful
people know about language? Does it refer to the words they use in conversation and
writing?
Yes, in part. But in this book, “verbal advantage” encompasses something more than just
what educated people already know about using the language. It also means what educated
people
ought
to know about using the language—and how using it well can help them
succeed.
In short, a “verbal advantage” is the ability to use words in a precise and powerful manner,
to communicate clearly, correctly, and effectively in every situation, both on and off the job. In
this book I intend to take your ability with words and turn it into mastery.
Numerous studies have shown that there is a correlation between career and financial
success and an above-average vocabulary, and that the level of success people achieve is
linked to the number of words they command. You may be on the right track, but are you as
productive and successful as you know you can be? In the long run all your hard work and all
the knowledge you gain from experience may not produce the results you expect if you lack
the confidence that comes from an accompanying mastery of words.
As the syndicated columnist William Raspberry once put it, “Good English, well spoken
and well written, will open more doors than a college degree…. Bad English will slam doors
you don't even know exist.”
Verbal Advantage
will give you most of the linguistic tools you need to communicate
more effectively and confidently, and I will show you how to use them with precision. If you
like, consider
Verbal Advantage
an apprenticeship to a second career—one that can help
you immeasurably and enhance your chances of success. When you finish reading this
book, you'll be on your own. But I think you'll find yourself prepared to meet the challenge of
achieving and maintaining a verbal advantage.
Improving your verbal skills is not an easy task, but it doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, it
can be one of the most rewarding activities you will ever undertake. Few things can equal
the satisfaction that comes from using the right word at the appropriate moment or realizing
that the way you have chosen to express something has moved or gratified or persuaded
your audience.
Let's begin, then, with a brief summary of what you stand to gain from reading this book.
You will learn about vocabulary building and why it is indispensable to your personal
development. I will teach you the principles and techniques of building a large and exact
vocabulary and introduce you to words that will add clarity to your writing and infuse your
conversation with style. You will also discover how to put your powerful new vocabulary into
action right away, and how to make the words you've learned serve you well for the rest of
your life.
Page 5
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收藏 2.65MB PDF 举报 
daijia196910012019-06-30很好的一本书
