If your success at work or in school depends on your ability to communicate persuasively in writing, you’ll want to get Good with Words. Based on a course that law students at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago have called "outstanding," "A-M-A-Z-I-N-G," and "the best course I have ever taken," the book brings together a collection of concepts, exercises, and examples that have also helped improve the advocacy skills of people pursuing careers in many other fields—from marketing, to management, to medicine.

Patrick Barry is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Law School. An All-American soccer player in college, he holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago—where he won the Wayne Booth Prize in Teaching Excellence—and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Michigan. He also now regularly works with law firms, state governments, and non-profit organizations to improve their written and spoken advocacy.

“There is nobody better than Patrick Barry when it comes to breaking down how to write and edit. His techniques don’t just make you sound better. They make you think better. I’m jealous of the people who get to take his classes.”

“Whenever I use Patrick Barry’s materials in my class, the student reaction is the same: ‘We want more of them.’”

“Working one-on-one with Patrick Barry should be mandatory for all lawyers, regardless of seniority. This book is the next best thing.”

“I am proud to say that, when it comes to writing, I speak Patrick Barry. What I mean is that I use, pretty much every day, the writing vocabulary and techniques he offers in this great book. So read it. Share it. And then, if you can, teach it. There are a lot of good causes in the world that could use a new generation of great advocates.”

“Patrick Barry is my secret weapon. I use his techniques every time I write, and I also teach them to all my students.”

"I know the materials in this book were originally created for lawyers and law students. But I actually find them really helpful for doctors as well, given that a lot of what I do every day depends on effective communication. There is a tremendous upside to becoming "Good with Words.'"

"I know the materials in this book were originally created for lawyers and law students. But I actually find them really helpful for doctors as well, given that a lot of what I do every day depends on effective communication. There is a tremendous upside to becoming "Good with Words.'"

“I am proud to say that, when it comes to writing, I speak Patrick Barry. What I mean is that I use, pretty much every day, the writing vocabulary and techniques he offers in this great book. So read it. Share it. And then, if you can, teach it. There are a lot of good causes in the world that could use a new generation of great advocates.”

“Whenever I use Patrick Barry’s materials in my class, the student reaction is the same: ‘We want more of them.’”

“There is nobody better than Patrick Barry when it comes to breaking down how to write and edit. His techniques don’t just make you sound better. They make you think better. I’m jealous of the people who get to take his classes.”

“Patrick Barry is my secret weapon. I use his techniques every time I write, and I also teach them to all my students.”

“Working one-on-one with Patrick Barry should be mandatory for all lawyers, regardless of seniority. This book is the next best thing.”