Writing to Learn

This is an essential book for everyone who wants to write clearly about any subject and use writing as a means of learning.

Zinsser investigates the writing-to-learn approach, visiting Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota to see how professors in chemistry and economics use papers to teach reasoning.

The book details how instructors outside English departments incorporate regular drafting into coursework ranging from introductory psychology to instrumental analysis.

Chapters examine accessible prose across disciplines including geology, mathematics, and physics. The author analyzes model passages from writers such as Rachel Carson on ocean waters, Albert Einstein on relativity, and Primo Levi on the properties of tin.

• Teaching Writing: Details practical methods for educators in every field, from five-minute summary papers in psychology to chemistry lab reports evaluated for clear explanation.
• Academic Writing: Highlights student work at Germantown Friends School, where math journals and letters help learners reason through calculus and exponential growth models.
• Case Studies: Explores real-world classroom assignments, including nursing coursework that trains students to synthesize professional journal articles and advocate for health care.
• Actionable Strategies: Distinguishes explanatory writing from exploratory drafting, showing how continuous revision strips away jargon, passive verbs, and clutter.
• Also by This Author: On Writing Well, How to Write a Memoir and Speaking of Journalism.