"The Verbalist: A Manual Devoted to Brief Discussions of the Right and the Wrong Use of Words and to Some Other Matters of Interest to Those Who Would Speak and Write with Propriety" by Alfred Ayres was written as a reference book for aspiring writers in any field. Bad writing was often thought of as a symptom of bad thinking, thus Ayres sought to help writers learn how to effectively craft their words to properly express their thoughts and connect with their audiences.