Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less

The first chapter of Part 3 shifts gears somewhat to tell the story of how author Mike Allen’s daily newsletter while at Politico became highly esteemed across Washington political circles. He adapted this newsletter into a new daily newsletter called Mike’s Playbook that summarized only the most essential information; this newsletter went on to be read daily by the Obama White House staff. Mike had realized early that he was never going to be a journalist known for his wonderful prose style; therefore, he adapted his writing to become much more direct and hard hitting. Usually, Mike stuck to the basics. When Mike and Jim started Axios, Jim challenged Mike to become even more concise in his style. The chapter concludes with more “tips and tricks” that include the suggestion that “brevity is confidence” (110). The skill of trimming words is likened to dieting. Finally, a recognition of what the audience is looking for is once again urged.

The authors begin this chapter by arguing that a newsletter is the most effective way of keeping people up to date with the happenings in any given group