Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less (Revised and Updated)

Most people don't read; they scan documents, articles, and emails. In the book, Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less, you get a behind-the-scenes look at how American news website Axios writes its articles. Axios founders Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz (Author) provide a simple method to help readers easily digest a bit of information - and then the reader can decide if they want more in-depth coverage. At a glance, the format is: A headline that grabs attention A short paragraph on "why it matters" Go deeper using some prompts. There are a ton of examples and tips to take your thoughts and concisely write them. It's an intriguing format to use - especially within a company or a team - to quickly share information. I appreciate the simplicity and structure, however, I would not use this format all the time. It's a bit too curt and eschews some of the cultural nuances and niceties that build a connection between the writer and the reader.

Here’s a short Amazon-style review tailored for Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less: --- ⭐ Quick Review for Smart Brevity Clear, punchy, and practical. This book delivers exactly what it promises—how to communicate better by saying less.

You write too much for the way your readers consume information. No one has the time or patience to read everything they are sent, so it is likely that most of what you write goes unread. This matters to you personally because, as a knowledge worker, your contribution, influence and credibility depend on being heard, or in this case, being read. It matters to the organization when important information slips through the cracks and things happen—or don’t—as a result. Smart Brevity will teach you how to grab attention and keep it, and so ensure that your message gets across crisply and clearly. The authors share a formula which they have developed over their work in print and electronic media. As you see in this review: tease them with a good subject line, craft a short opening sentence that tells the one big thing, explain why it matters, and then go deeper as necessary. Simple and effective. As the author of Lean Communication, I am pulling for this book to take off, because it carries such an important message. But I do have to point out one caveat. The book could have been shorter by about 20%. There is too much backstory about Axios, the company the authors founded and run today, and after a while you get the feel that you are reading a corporate brochure.

149,513 That is the number of emails being sent globally as you read this message. So how do you make yours (or any other type of message you are trying to share) cut through and make an impact? This is the premise of the new book by the Editors of the newsletter Axios in their new book Smart Brevity. And this may be the MOST helpful book I have read in 5 years. The authors take the research in brain and social science and combine it with their own success in communicating with millions of people each day to create an action plan for you to become a more impactful writer, speaker, presenter, or Tweeter. The key starting premise is that your message should be about the needs of the receiver and NOT your needs. By focusing on the key message you want to deliver and presenting it in a way that your audience will receive it, comprehend it, and retain it, you will change the impact you have with all of your communication. A bonus impact is by communicating this way, you have the opportunity to become more inclusive in your communication so the members of your audience who may suffer from challenges like Dyslexia or ADHD or who speak English as a second language will find your communication more readable and actionable. We are all bombarded with words all day. Smart Brevity can help you thin out the wasted words and focus on the message you want to deliver.

Excellent ideas to keep your message succinct, clear, and meaningful. Simple to follow and easy to read. Plus, the layout is beautiful. Highly recommended!

Why it matters: The premise of Smart Brevity is compelling and there are a half dozen good examples (see picture) in the book that bring this framework to life. But that could have been done in 40 pages instead of 200+. The Big Picture The book only partially succeeds in following its own advice. There are many pages of repetitive information and ideas. Some of the writing is verbose and unclear. Many of the good points are simply commonsense: be clear, be concise, use simple words. Unless your writing and communication skills are mediocre to poor, you will find marginal benefit from this book. Sadly though, that may be a majority of people. The bottom line Strunk & White’s Elements of Style teaches you more about Smart Brevity and is a better choice. Go deeper I had high expectations for this book as an Axios reader. I think the way Axios packages and communicates information is outstanding. Sadly, the effort to communicate their methodology in a book fell far short of expectations. I returned the book. You may find it more useful if you’re struggling with the basics of written communication.

fast read on how to convey with fewer words. Apply it to your communication, emails. highly recommend. Say more with less.

They explain and drink their own champagne. It was an easy read and that was their goal. I look forward to putting this into practice.

The concept of "Smart Brevity" can be well explained in a short blog post, but it's a disaster to make it a 200-page book. # Fun Fact Using the "smart brevity" technique, you can trim 90% of the content and get the same idea. # Advice to the author: * Show me more concrete examples, instead of vague and wordy sentences. (Chapter 6: Grab Me!) * Stop boring me with the "someone applied smart brevity and success" story. (Chapter 4: Audience First) # Serious advice to the author: Writing a book is hard, you have pages to fill, I understand. But at least make it fun to read. Your "Smart Brevity" is not a good way to write a book, I think you knew it. Here's the book I recommend: "The Adweek Copywriting Handbook", you will enhance your writing skill set, instead of being limited in the "Smart Brevity" way.

This book gave great concise must know information on how to K.I.S.S. (KEEP-IT-SIMPLE-SILLY) It is a quick read and an easy-to-follow reference/study guide.

A short and power-packed dynamite of a book which will help you improve your workplace communication immediately. Improve your email, meetings and presentations. Just buy the book.

El libro cumple

O livro e muito útil, prático e vai direto ao ponto. As ferramentas são úteis para quem escreve de artigos a2 mensagens no whatsap. A gráfica também é super bem feita. Recomendo.