Writing That Works

First published in 1981, a practical business-writing guide by two Ogilvy & Mather executives. Kenneth Roman later became chairman and CEO of the agency; Joel Raphaelson was a senior creative executive. The book distills what Ogilvy & Mather taught its own people about writing memos, letters, reports, and presentations clearly and persuasively. Now in 5 editions.

Rule one of Ogilvy's 1982 "How to Write" memo, sent to every employee of Ogilvy & Mather worldwide, is: "Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times." This was not a casual recommendation — Ogilvy put it ahead of every other writing rule he had. He considered clear writing so central to the agency's success that he made a whole book the first instruction in his most famous memo.

For a founder, Writing That Works is the practical companion to Strunk and Flesch. Where those books give you principles, this one gives you templates and before-and-after examples for the actual documents you write: investor letters, client emails, internal memos, job descriptions, performance reviews. If you only read one business-writing book, make it the one Ogilvy himself told his people to read three times.