BOOK REVIEWS

 Words That Stick

     “For a book that doesn’t even crack 100 pages (it’s 95 pages -- and small ones at that), Words That Stick crams a lot into its tiny frame. But then, brevity is best for communicating effectively, says Fort Worth writing instructor Rix Quinn.

     “Some of his ideas: Showcase the story with a catchy heading, build a persuasive theme in 250 words or less, capture a reader’s attention from the start and create cliffhangers worthy of a master storyteller.” – Steve Powers, The Dallas Morning News

     “I wanted to let you know that your book is great! I have even incorporated it into my newspaper class lessons. I am assigning a pair of students a chapter in the book to read, and make a presentation to the class. We have done the first two chapters, and it is going very well.” – Megan Cox, high school journalism instructor

     “Rix Quinn’s Words That Stick will no doubt remind English teachers of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, not only for its brevity but for its down-to-earth advice.

     “The strategies in this book are sure to help my junior English students with the essay section of TAKS, the standardized test all Texas 11^th graders must pass to graduate. Similarly, the same tips will help newspaper students generally tighten their writing, and specifically improve their leads.

     “This book is a valuable resource, not to mention a great bargain, for any language arts teacher.” – Susan Waring, high school English and journalism instructor

     “Grab the reader’s attention. That’s where Ten Speed’s April 2004 title Words That Stick: A Guide to Short Writing with Big Impact by Rix Quinn comes in. 'It’s best to start with what you will not find in Rix Quinn’s book: no rules of grammar, no entries on usage, no lists of common mistakes, no copyediting guidelines,’ says Ten Speed’s Tom Southern. ‘Quinn’s basic advice is simplicity; say it in 250 words or less, stick to a single theme, distill the theme to a couple of lines that could fit on a business card.’” – Publishers Weekly

     “The simplicity, light approach, and unimposing size of Rix Quinn’s presentation make this a good book for newsletter contributors, staff members concerned with improving their business documents and technical staff involved in marketing. His major theses and examples should help all of them.” – Carolyn Mulford, Writing That Works Newsletter

 Which road? What career path should you choose?
    "All through high school and college, no one ever spoke to me of the real reason for an education or what to do with it. I think they all thought that 'job, work, and career' were dirty words.

     This sweet little book -- Which road? What career path should you choose? -- goes straight to the heart of the matter, and literally hands you the tools you need to make the most of school. I could have saved ten years of stumbling through jobs after graduation." -- Paul A. Swartz

     "I was hooked when I read the excerpt from 'Casey At The Bat' (in Rix Quinn's short e-book Names: The power of belief and baseballs).  My older sister had to memorize it in middle school and thanks to her constant repetition while we washed and dried the dinner dishes every night, it's permanently etched in my memory over 40 years later.