Literate people are literate because they have been taught how to read and write. Right? Wrong. They have been taught how to read, but many (if not most) have never really been taught how to write.“I know, because I used to be one of them,” says Philip Yaffe, a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and long-time international marketing communication consultant. ”When I was in high school, I thought I knew how to write, but when I went to college, I was shocked to discover that I didn’t.“Much secondary school writing is aimed at helping students perfect their mechanical skills such as grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, syntax, etc. In college, it is assumed that students already do these things well. The task now is to use these skills to clearly, concisely, and persuasively present or defend an argument or point of view. This is where I and many of my freshman colleagues fell down,” he explains.College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent attempts to rectify the problem by focusing on the truly key ideas and techniques needed to achieve these objectives.College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides exercises for general writing principles and practices that can be adapted to all kinds of college-level writing formats, e.g. book reviews, term papers, research papers, theses, essay exams, etc. “If you truly understand and master the principles and practices explained in this book, it really won’t matter what format may be imposed on your writing. The format is like the cover of a book. The essential thing is what is inside,” the author says. As any good teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. People may understand something the first time they hear it, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily remember it or understand it later. Key ideas must be repeated to ensure comprehension.College-level Writing: The Essential 10 Percent is therefore purposely redundant. You will see certain pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is done to ensure that vital information is always available when and where you need it. You won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page you are currently reading.Because they are fundamental, the principles and practices taught in this book are also adaptable to business and professional worlds beyond graduation.Philip Yaffe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1942 and grew up in Los Angeles, where he graduated from the University of California with a degree in mathematics and physics. In his senior year, he was also editor-in-chief of the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s daily student newspaper.He has more than 40 years of experience in journalism and international marketing communication. At various points in his career, he has been a teacher of journalism, a reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal, an account executive with a major international press relations agency, European marketing communication director with two major international companies, and a founding partner of a specialized marketing communication agency in Brussels, Belgium, where he has lived since 1974. Other Books by this AuthorWord for Windows: The Essential Ten PercentThe Human Body: The Essential Ten Percent (to be published in February 2012)The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a ProfessionalThe Gettysburg Collection: A comprehensive companion to The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a ProfessionalActual English: English grammar as native speakers really use itGentle French: French grammar as native speakers really use itWhat’d You Say? / Que Dites-Vous?Fun with homophones, proverbs, expressions, false friends, and other linguistic oddities in English and FrenchThe Little Book of BIG MistakesScience for the Concerned Citizen: What you don’t know CAN hurt you