Product Review

The Analytic Writing guide offers a mix of strategic and tactical advice for writers of analytic papers, ranging from how to get started to how to order information in a paragraph. The objective is to show how best to inform a busy reader or decisionmaker who is often preoccupied with other tasks. It is not a book about grammar; neither is it a treatise on critical thinking. Grammar and style are undeniably important, but elegantly written sentences will fail to communicate the paper's conclusions if the flow of ideas and information is flawed. The primary audiences for the Guide are analysts working in intelligence, law enforcement, and the business world. The principles underlying the teaching points, however, are applicable to anyone seeking to communicate ideas more effectively--including high school and university students.