Review: Isn't It Ironic
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 06 27, 2014
I was really looking forward to reading this slim volume due to my interest in how language can make or break your career. Then I started reading it.The reason for the two stars, instead of no stars, is for the understandable content sprinkled here and there. For example, the opening paragraph of Chapter 2 reads as if someone else wrote it (Kindle Location 95). Also, the overall message of Chapter 4 concerning visual clues was enlightening and the example used is excellent, but the issue of awkward sentence structures keeps the chapter from being as effective as possible (Kindle Location 147 – 185).The overriding problem with the book is it reads as if the author does not speak English, or his copy editor doesn’t, or neither of them do.Examples of the awkward sentence structures and awkward word choices:• When you think about it, these principles are the stuff that makes a lot of self-help books, lectures, and seminars that you may intend to attend in the future. (Kindle Location 70)• You may become successful at controlling your body language, but would you wouldn’t want to be always conscious about how you act. (Kindle Location 102)The second example brings up another awkward language issue present throughout the book: the verb “would” is used instead of “will” as if the reader has already failed.I do appreciate the irony of a book about using words to their maximum effectiveness is almost unreadable. So, here’s to Irony!