Noah Smith Writing Lesson

Monday, August 21, 2017

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Noah Smith has a good review of the writing in Deirdre McCloskey's review of Thomas Piketty's book.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lesson for students learning to write papers: Don't needlessly annoy readers earlier you lot acquire to your point. If a reader disagrees , finds something incorrect , or insufficiently documented , of if you lot shock a reader , he or she volition operate out without getting to the primary point.  Once a reader finds one matter he or she thinks is incorrect , he or she volition distrust the remainder of the argument. Grand methodological statements together with criticisms of swaths of literature are specially dangerous.

Noah's post service is a cracking example. As you lot tin encounter , Noah never got to the primary betoken of McCloskey's review , together with happily admits it.

And Noah's criticisims are topographic point on.  The showtime 4 pages of McCkoskey's review are full of grand , outrageous , together with arguably imitation statements , having nil to produce amongst Piketty , inequality , or anything else that follows.  McCloskey , writer of aMy review said every bit much too. Interestingly , I quoted quite a few of the same points Noah found.  (I position that at the bottom of a "too-long post service on a far-too-long review of a enormously-too-long book" because  my primary betoken was non virtually writing together with for in i trial I followed my ain advice together with position the secondary betoken at the bottom.)

So , honey students , acquire the lesson: write the minimum upward front end needed to brand your primary betoken later. If you lot mean value everyone runs also many regressions , or you lot don't similar non-cooperative game theory , together with unless this betoken is absolutely necessary to your criticism of Piketty , salvage it for around other day. Only shock people you lot actually genuinely take away to offend. Otherwise , you lot adventure having a potential reader similar Noah surrender inward disgust earlier he gets to your point. Noah , handgrip your olfactory organ together with turn on , it gets better.

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