I always felt a sort of kinship with William Safire because we both graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. I loved his writing on language, especially his “Fumblerules of Grammar,” which includes “Passive voice should never be used” and my favorite: “Avoid clichés like the plague.” Here’s one bit of his advice that seems apt for business book writers.

“Never assume the obvious is true.”

When something seems obvious or when “everyone knows” that it’s true, that’s the perfect time to do some fact checking.

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