First edition 1987.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-218).

pt. I. The Pyramid Principle : Logic in Writing -- 1. Why a pyramid structure? -- Sorting into pyramids -- -- The magical number seven -- -- The need to state the logic -- Ordering from the top down -- Thinking from the bottom up -- -- 2. The substructures within the pyramid -- The vertical relationship -- The horizontal relationship -- The introductory flow -- -- 3. How to build a pyramid structure -- The top-down approach -- The bottom-up approach -- Caveats for beginners -- -- 4. Fine points of introductions -- Initial introductions -- -- Why a story? -- -- How long should it be? -- -- Where do you start the situation? -- -- What's a complication? -- -- Why that order? -- -- What about the key line? -- -- Further examples -- -- In summary -- Some common patterns -- -- Directives -- -- Requests for funds -- -- 'How to' documents -- -- Letters of proposal -- -- Progress reviews -- Transitions between groups -- -- Referencing backward -- -- Summarizing -- -- Concluding -- -- 5. Deduction and induction : the difference -- Deductive reasoning -- -- How it works -- -- When to use it -- Inductive reasoning -- -- How it works -- -- How it differs -- -- 6. How to highlight the structure -- Headings -- Underlined points -- Decimal numbering -- Indented display -- -- pt. II. The Pyramid Principle : Logic in Thinking -- 7. Questioning the order of a grouping -- Time order -- -- Incomplete thinking -- -- Confused logic -- -- False grouping -- Structural order -- -- Creating a structure -- -- Describing a structure -- -- Imposing a structure -- Ranking order -- -- Creating proper class groupings -- -- Identifying improper class groupings -- -- 8. Questioning the problem-solving process -- The problem-solving process -- -- What is the problem? -- -- Where does it lie? -- -- Why does it exist? -- -- What could we do about it? -- -- What should we do about it? -- Defining the problem -- -- Period graph books -- Structuring the analysis of the problem -- -- Five typical logic trees -- -- Use of the logic tree concept -- -- 9. Questioning the summary statement -- Stating the effect of actions -- -- Make the wording specific -- -- Distinguish the levels of action -- Drawing an inference from conclusions -- -- Find the structural similarity -- -- Visualize the relationships -- -- 10. Putting it into readable words -- Create the image -- Copy the image in words -- -- App. Problem solving in structureless situations.

How many times have you written an email at work, read it back and found that it didn't make as much sense as you'd hoped? or worse, someone else has told you that they can't follow it. The Pyramid Principle shows you how to communicate your ideas clearly and succinctly. It explains how to: think creatively, reason lucidly, and express ideas with clarity; define complex problems and establish the objectives of any document; assess your ideas and recognize their relative importance; structure your reasoning into a coherent and transparent argument; and, analyze your argument to confirm its effectiveness.