102 DELIVER THE EXPERIENCE
from extraneous text, so are his words. For example, in October
2008, Apple unveiled a new line of environmentally friendly
MacBook computers. There are two principal ways Jobs could
have described the computers. The column on the left in Table
8.5 is technically accurate but wordy; the text in the column on
the right is what Jobs actually said.^27
Jobs replaces lengthy sentences with descriptions that could fit
in a Twitter post (see Scene 4). Simple sentences are simply easier
to recall. Table 8.6 shows other examples of how Jobs could have
described a new product, compared with what he actually said.Plain English Campaign
If you need help writing crisp, clear sentences, the Plain English
Campaign can help. Since 1979, this UK-based organization has
been leading the fight to get governments and corporations to
simplify their communications. The site is updated weekly with
examples of the most complex, unintelligible business language
submitted by readers around the world. The organizers define
plain English as writing that the intended audience can read,If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
ALBERT EINSTEINEinstein’s Theory of SimplicityTABLE 8.5 DESCRIBING THE ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY MACBOOK
WHAT STEVE COULD HAVE SAID WHAT STEVE ACTUALLY SAID
The new MacBook family meets the most
stringent Energy Star standards and
contains no brominated flame retardants.
It uses only PVC-free internal cables and
components and features energy-efficient
LED-backlit displays that are mercury free.“They are the industry’s
greenest notebooks.”