I picked up the HBR Guide to Better Business Writing hoping to polish my emails and reports—what I got was a game-changer. The book’s no-nonsense approach cuts through the fluff. Chapter 1 alone (“Getting Started”) saved me hours of staring at a blank screen by teaching me how to outline first.

The real magic? The side-by-side examples. One shows a jargon-filled sentence like ‘We are unable to facilitate your request at this juncture,’ then rewrites it as ‘We can’t help right now.’ I used this tip in a client email last week and got a reply in 10 minutes (usually it takes days).

Appendix B on grammar myths is my secret weapon. Did you know it’s okay to start sentences with ‘And’ or ‘But’ in business writing? My colleagues think I’ve suddenly become a writing pro, but really, I just keep this book under my desk.

Only gripe: I wish it were spiral-bound so I could flip it open during Zoom calls. But for $15, it’s the best investment I’ve made for my career since decent coffee.