Good with Words: Writing and Editing

If your success at work or in school depends on your ability to communicate persuasively in writing, you’ll want to get Good with Words. Based on a course that law students at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago have called "outstanding," "A-M-A-Z-I-N-G," and "the best course I have ever taken," the book brings together a collection of concepts, exercises, and examples that have also helped improve the advocacy skills of people pursuing careers in many other fields—from marketing, to management, to medicine.

“There is nobody better than Patrick Barry when it comes to breaking down how to write and edit. His techniques don’t just make you sound better. They make you think better. I’m jealous of the people who get to take his classes.”
—Professor Lisa Bernstein, University of Chicago Law School and Oxford University Center for Corporate Regulation
 
“Whenever I use Patrick Barry’s materials in my class, the student reaction is the same: ‘We want more of them.’”
—Professor Dave Babbe, UCLA School of Law
 
“Working one-on-one with Patrick Barry should be mandatory for all lawyers, regardless of seniority. This book is the next best thing.”
—Purvi Patel, Partner at Morrison Foerster LLP
 
“I am proud to say that, when it comes to writing, I speak Patrick Barry. What I mean is that I use, pretty much every day, the writing vocabulary and techniques he offers in this great book. So read it. Share it. And then, if you can, teach it. There are a lot of good causes in the world that could use a new generation of great advocates.”
—Professor Bridgette Carr, Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Director of the Human Trafficking Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School
 
“Patrick Barry is my secret weapon. I use his techniques every time I write, and I also teach them to all my students.”
—Professor Shai Dothan, Copenhagen Faculty of Law
 
“I know the materials in this book were originally created for lawyers and law students. But I actually find them really helpful for doctors as well, given that a lot of what I do every day depends on effective communication. There is a tremendous upside to becoming ‘Good with Words.”
—Dr. Ramzi Abboud, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis