Most guides to good writing are written by people who can't write. Even "The Elements of Style," by Strunk & White (the best-selling book of its kind until now) begins on page 1 with a rule about when to use the semicolon. Does "that" sound like a smart opening hook? Here at long last is a priceless guide to As in the classroom and five-star book reviews on the Internet: "How to Write" digests the wisdom and expertise of more than one hundred great masters (and records the lapses of a few great buffoons). If you wish to succeed in college or in the literary marketplace, then this is a...