Best known as the author of the esteemed guide On Writing Well
, Zinsser devotes his new book to recollections of his charmed life as a writer and teacher. He reflects on his years with the Herald Tribune
, as a freelance writer living with his family in the Hamptons, and teaching at Yale University. Famous for prescribing clear, uncluttered writing, Zinsser practices what he preaches, and his reading is similarly limpid. Looking back at his personal and professional achievements, Zinsser cannot mask his self-satisfaction—but rather than coming across as narcissistic, his pride proves markedly charming. A Collins hardcover (Reviews, June 15). (Aug.)