[karlb]

I agree. I struggled through Zinsser and didn't highlight much.

My colleagues and I have read over 50 books about writing and our 11 favorites are here: http://www.conversion-rate-experts.com/writing/

In answer to your question, “Handbook of Technical Writing” by Alred et al is good, but I'd start with the first half of “Keys to Great Writing” by Stephen Wilbers, which deserves its Amazon rating of 4.8/5.0.