My latest summary is for The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking by Barbara Minto, which explains how to make your writing clearer by imposing a logical structure on it. While the book focuses on writing in a business context, most of the principles—including the key pyramid structure—can apply to many other forms of non-fiction writing.

As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above (estimated time: 21 mins).

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• To write clearly, separate out your thinking and writing:
  • Our thinking is often bottom-up. We form sentences that contain individual ideas, then we group logically-related sentences into a paragraph, and then group logically-related paragraphs into sections.
  • But when we write, we can only present one idea at a time. To help your reader understand your ideas, you need a logical structure that is top-down.
• The pyramid structure helps us visualise how different ideas relate to each other:
  • Ideas at the top of the pyramid summarise the group of ideas below it.
  • Ideas at the lower levels explain or defend the points above.
  • Ideas at the same level sit alongside each other at the same level of abstraction.
• A key advantage of the pyramid structure is that it aids the reader’s comprehension and helps them keep ideas together in their working memory. A clear structure should also allow for easy skimming.
• Form logical groups for your ideas, using one of four analytical processes:
  • Deductive reasoning. Reaching a new conclusion from two related premises.
  • Chronological. This is good for cause-and-effect relationships where you are prescribing certain steps or recommendations.
  • Structural. When you divide something up into parts, make sure those parts are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive.
  • Comparative. If you group ideas together because they share some characteristic, explain why that shared characteristic matters.
• Presenting your pyramid:
  • At the top, your introduction should (uncontroversially) set out the Situation, Complication and Question for your document before giving the Answer.
  • In the middle, you’ll present your logical groupings, pausing and recapping in between each major group.
  • Conclusions are difficult to do well and not usually necessary. But it can be a bit awkward to just stop writing, so you can finish with something like a summary or next steps.

You can find the full detailed summary on the website. If you found this summary useful, consider forwarding to a friend you think might enjoy it.

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​To Summarise​