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11th July 2009
by Philip Yaffe
To try to pre-empt people from misreading between the lines, let me clearly declare that the purpose of this article is in no way to challenge anyone's faith, but rather to better define my own.
I am now approaching the proverb... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe12th June 2009
by Philip Yaffe
Part 17 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". The... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe12th June 2009
by Philip Yaffe
Over the past 40-plus years as a journalist and marketing communication consultant, I have frequently been told that I am an exceptionally good writer by teachers, friends, colleagues, and clients. But I wasn’t always a good write... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe06th June 2009
by Philip Yaffe
Part 16 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". The... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe06th June 2009
by Philip Yaffe
If you were there at the time, you will find it hard to realize that the 50th anniversary of the election of John Fitzgerald Kennedy is rapidly approaching. The iconic 35th President of the United States was elected in a close-run c... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe19th May 2009
by Philip Yaffe
Mark Twain famously said: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
Of course he was absolutely right -- and partially wrong.
As every profes... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe19th May 2009
by Philip Yaffe
Part 15 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". The... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe19th May 2009
by Philip Yaffe
Because they were extracted from human blood, the first-generation hepatitis B vaccines developed in the early 1980s had significant drawbacks, including high cost, low availability, and the possibility of unsuspected contamination ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe15th May 2009
by Philip Yaffe
Someone once said (it may have been me): "There is no dull information, only dull writers."
We have all had the misfortune of reading very dull texts and sitting through very dull presentations. But were they inherently dull? O... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe12th May 2009
by Philip Yaffe
As someone once said (it may have been Einstein, but it may have been someone else): "The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it's stranger than we can imagine."
Whoever may have said it, in 1929 a certain Robert Riple... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe12th May 2009
by Philip Yaffe
In virtually all walks of live -- business, education, politics, research, etc. -- documents of more than a few of pages consist of the body and an executive summary. Unfortunately, most writers treat the executive summary as an aft... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe20th June 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Ever since it became popular, I have been hearing that writing for the Web is different from writing for print. I have always been skeptical of this assertion and now after years of experience I am certain that it is wrong.
To ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe06th June 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Part 5 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". These ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe06th June 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Part 4 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". These ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe06th June 2008
by Philip Yaffe
I have never written fiction and never intended to. My 40-year career has been in journalism and marketing communication. However, a few months ago someone who had read my book on expository (non-fiction) writing and speaking contacte... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe20th May 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Part 3 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". These ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe20th May 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Part 2 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". These ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe20th May 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Part 1 of an occasional series
I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.
I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". Thes... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe16th April 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Decade after decade, perhaps the most popular type of television program has been the detective story, the traditional "who dun it?", presumably because people enjoy being held in suspense. It is therefore instructive to note that one... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe16th April 2008
by Philip Yaffe
The absolute, unalterable, incontestable hallmark of a good expository (non-fiction) text is its clarity. Whatever other attributes it may have, if it isn't clear, it isn't good, Likewise, if it isn't good, it isn't clear.
Clarity ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe28th March 2008
by Philip Yaffe
When I am introduced at social gatherings, the host or hostess usually says: "Hi, I want you to meet Philip Yaffe. He is a professional writer." I almost always get the same response: "Oh, really. What type of novels do you write?" In o... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe28th March 2008
by Philip Yaffe
"I was 24 years old when I first began thinking and speaking in a foreign language. It was like being released from prison. I saw my cell door swinging open and my mind flying free. That was over 40 years ago, but the picture is as fres... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe10th March 2008
by Philip Yaffe
Abraham Lincoln, America's iconic 16th President (1861-65), was never known as either a great writer or a great orator. Yet he penned one of the most highly praised and oft-quoted speeches in history. It was probably so good because i... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe25th February 2008
by Philip Yaffe
How often have you attended a presentation where great attention apparently went into designing the slides - and apparently none into how they were used? Or the speaker played with the slides as if to entertain rather than edify?
... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe25th February 2008
by Philip Yaffe
I was recently invited to a presentation by an accomplished speaker. Needless to say, his speech was well structured, his manner relaxed and confident, his eye contact and body language excellent, etc. He normally spoke without slides... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe02nd February 2008
by Philip Yaffe
I am an American living in Belgium since 1974. Ever since arriving here, I have been hearing the mantra “To be a good European, you should learn several languages”. Almost from the very beginning, I suggested going the other way: ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe07th January 2008
by Philip Yaffe
For most educated persons, Murphy’s Law is the fundamental law of the universe, even more important than birth, death and gravity.
In its purest form, Murphy’s Law says: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” There... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe07th January 2008
by Philip Yaffe
If you can tell a joke well, you already possess many of the skills you need to write a persuasive marketing plan, sales letter, financial report, new product proposal, etc. Equally, you already possess many of the skills you need to ... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe21st October 2007
by Philip YaffeRecommending that you stop writing press releases and start writing news releases is not a play on words. It is sound advice. In common parlance, “press release” and “news release” mean the same thing. However, the terminology peopl... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe29th August 2007
by Philip Yaffe
Native English-speakers are increasingly exhorted to learn foreign languages to play a more effective role in globalisation. However, we tend not to learn foreign languages for three very valid reasons.
1. Many other peoples in th... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe29th August 2007
by Philip Yaffe
At first glance mathematics and persuasive communication – writing, and particularly public speaking - would seem to have little in common. After all, mathematics is an objective science, whilst speaking involves voice quality, infl... Read >
Author: Philip Yaffe
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