This is a classic that hasn't lost its impact.  If you want to communicate more effectively, The Elements of Style should be first on your short-list.  Don't let its somewhat dated verbiage obscure its helpful insights.  As reviewed by the Boston Globe: "No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume."

My edition comes in at 85 pages with a 6-page Introduction.  This is entirely consistent with the message of the book, which may be summarized as: "Communicate clearly and concisely."

The book was written by William Strunk, Jr., and updated by E. B. White.  White authored Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

A sample of their wisdom that I strive to implement: "Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs.  The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place."

Or this reminder worthy of our attention:

Even to a writer who is being intentionally obscure or wild of tongue we can say, "Be obscure clearly!  Be wild of tongue in a way we can understand!"

Clarity, clarity, clarity.  When you become hopelessly mired in a sentence, it is best to start fresh; do not try to fight your way through against the terrible odds of syntax.  Usually what is wrong is that the construction has become too involved at some point; the sentence needs to be broken apart and replaced by two or more shorter sentences.

I'm here to help you communicate clearly and effectively.  You can do it - you may just need help and encouragement to do it well.

(Click here for a link to the book on Amazon.)