The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking Like a Professional    by Philip Yaffe Order:  USA  Can INDI Publishing, 2010 (2010) Softcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Bob Walch If you'd like to hone your writing or speaking skills, this may be a book to check out. With four decades working in journalism and marketing communication, Philip Yaffe brings a lot of practical knowledge to this guide. Currently semi-retired, Yaffe teaches courses and offers workshops in effective writing and public speaking. This book is an offshoot of that endeavor. It's divided into three major sections, the first two, Fundamentals of Good Writing and Oral Presentations: Giving Voice to Your Words, only taking up 124 pages of the book. The remainder of volume is devoted to 13 appendices and a closing, short chapter entitled Making Sense of Nonsense: Writing Advice from Lewis & the Jabberwocky. The appendices contain exercises, tips, and short discussions on topics as varied as How to Excite Reader Interest and How to Get the Most From Your Word Processor to Yaffe's Law: Everything You Need to Know About Persuasive Writing and Speaking in Two Sentences. If you are curious about the reference to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in the title, the author explains the relevance in the opening pages and he analyzes the famous speech in Appendix J. The format the author utilizes makes the communication ideas he presents quite accessible. Although the revision examples and exercises will be helpful to those trying to improve their skills, I fear seasoned writers or speakers may not find a lot of new or useful information here. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews