Founder connections
- David OgilvyRecommendation in his own bookOgilvy includes the book in the reading list of Ogilvy on Advertising. In the section on job applications, he also recommends Roman and Raphaelson’s advice on clear, specific and personal letters.Source
Summary
Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson explain how to write business documents that state what you mean and help a reader act. The guide covers letters and memos, requests for money, plans and reports, speeches and presentations, and resumes. It also addresses readable layout, editing and making time to write well. Its focus is practical communication: clear purpose, specific facts and words suited to the person receiving them.
Why read it Our view
Use this book when a proposal, report or letter needs to lead to a clear next step. Its range of business documents makes it useful for work you already do: ask for support, explain a plan or help someone understand a decision. The advice Ogilvy draws from it is a practical check on your drafts: make the purpose clear, use specific facts and write to a real person. Editing and layout deserve time too; a reader should not have to work out what you mean before they can respond.