{"product_id":"9780241960349","title":"Plain Words: A Guide to the Use of English","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Be short, be simple, be human.' When Sir Ernest Gowers first wrote Plain Words, it was intended simply as a guide to the proper use of English for the Civil Service. Within a year, however, its humour, charm and authority had made it a bestseller. Since then it has never been out of print. Six decades on, writer Rebecca Gowers has created a new edition of this now-classic work that both revises and celebrates her great-grandfather's original. Plain Words has been updated to reflect numerous changes in English usage, yet Sir Ernest's distinctive, witty voice is undimmed. And his message remains vital: our writing should be as clear and comprehensible as possible, avoiding superfluous words and clichés - from the jargon of 'commercialese' to the murky euphemisms of politicians. In a new preface, this edition draws on an extensive private archive, previously hidden away in family cupboards and attics, to tell the story behind a book that has become an institution: the essential guide to making yourself understood.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47009309229296,"sku":"9780241960349","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780241960349_p0.jpg?v=1763680742","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780241960349","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}