On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Half memoir and half writing manual, King's book is the most read and most useful contemporary book about the practice of writing. The memoir half gives the manual half its weight: King's advice about toolboxes, vocabulary, adverbs and revision comes from someone who has written millions of published words and survived both commercial success and near-fatal injury. For product direction the book is not directly applicable, but the discipline it teaches — write every day, read constantly, cut ruthlessly, tell the truth — transfers to anyone whose work involves putting words on a page, which is most product directors most of the time. Read alongside Zinsser for the non-fiction complement and Vonnegut for the shortest version. Ken Norton includes it on his PM essential list for a reason.