Editorial Review

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences. It provides invaluable guidance on all aspects of the writing process, from the ethics of authorship to the word choice that best reduces bias in language. Well-known for its authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, and tone that will result in strong, simple, and elegant scientific communication. The sixth edition offers new and expanded instruction on publication ethics, statistics, journal article reporting standards, electronic reference formats, and the construction of tables and figures. The sixth edition has been revised and updated to include: new ethics guidance on such topics as determining authorship and terms of collaboration, duplicate publication, plagiarism and self-plagiarism, disguising of participants, validity of instrumentation, and making data available to others for verification; new journal article reporting standards to help readers report empirical research with clarity and precision; simplified APA heading style to make it more conducive to electronic publication; updated guidelines for reducing bias in language to reflect current practices and preferences, including a new section on presenting historical language that is inappropriate by present standards; new guidelines for reporting inferential statistics and a significantly revised table of statistical abbreviations; and, new instruction on using supplemental files containing lengthy data sets and other media. This book includes significantly expanded content on the electronic presentation of data to help readers understand the purpose of each kind of display and choose the best match for communicating the results of the investigation, with new examples for a variety of data displays, including electro physiological and biological data. It offers consolidated information on all aspects of reference citations, with an expanded discussion of electronic sources emphasizing the role of the digital object identifier (DOI) as a reliable way to locate information. It features expanded discussion of the publication process, including the function and process of peer review. It contains a discussion of ethical, legal, and policy requirements in publication; and guidelines on working with the publisher while the article is in press. Key to this edition of the Publication Manual is an updated and expanded Web presence. Look up additional supplemental material keyed to this book. This book lets you test your knowledge of APA Style with a free tutorial on style basics. It lets you learn about the changes in the sixth edition with a free tutorial reviewing key revisions. Sign up for an on-line course to enrich and enhance your understanding of APA Style. Read the APA Style blog and share your comments on writing and referencing. Consult frequently asked questions to sharpen your understanding of APA Style. This title lets you examine additional resources on such topics as ethics, statistics, and writing. It lets you familiarize yourself with submission standards for APA books and journals. ... Read more

Reviews

BEWARE! Many pages of corrections have been issued!, October 7, 2009
I just received my copy. As a psychology professor, this text is required for my bookshelf--the same is true for students in this field. However, I was upset to learn that APA has already issued 7 typewritten pages of corrections to this manual, and they will not exchange the first printing for a newer print. This is a resource that you will use for years! Wait to purchase until the kinks have been ironed out and they are on a second or third printing of the manual! I am also disappointed that they do not clearly delineate the changes from the 5th edition. It looks to me that there are few important changes (2 spaces between sentences, etc.). Save your money for at least a few more months!

Greatly Disappointed, October 14, 2009
I was very irritated to find that many errors existed in the 6th edition. I also contacted APA regarding the errors. They are not going to exchange the book for a corrected edition. They made several lame excuses for the errors and for not replacing it. My second email to APA pointedly expressed my displeasure with their stance - copied below...

To have grammar and writing errors in a book about grammar and writing is shameful. How much does your organization really care about the reputation it is presenting? Do you have editors reviewing your works before publication? Are your editors paying attention to their work? If you cannot hold yourself to the standards you have set out in your own publication, then your publications should not exist!


If you need this book, demand a corrected reprinting! If you are a university, you also demand a corrected reprint. This organization should not set standards they are not going to comply with. I give them an "F"

Do Not Buy, Join the Boycott!, October 20, 2009
Do not buy the first printing of the APA manual, 6th edition under any circumstances. There are errors on eighty (80) of its pages. How outrageous for a manual on writing style! As of 10/20/09, APA refuses to exchange their error full copies with corrected second printings. Despite the fact that the list of errors goes on for 7 pages, the Editorial Director of APA books stated "there are no errors that impede using the manual with full confidence." Many of the errors are in the sample papers -- a part of the manual so many of us use as an important reference. The abuse of power that APA is wielding over students required to purchase this book for classes, along with graduate students and professors who must write in this style for journals is alarming. APA goes on to state that with its 80 pages of errors in this edition that "it is within my control, as a true expert who has been intimately involved with each stage of this project, to verify for you without hesitation that the first printing is correct, accurate, and fully functional." As a Professor, when I grade papers, I say to my students that 3 APA errors will get them docked 1/2 a letter grade. If I were to grade this APA manual, it would not only get an F, there aren't enough letters in the alphabet to go low enough for the number of errors it contains. Meanwhile, APA is happy to take everyone's money for the book they know we all have to purchase in so many fields of study.

A formal boycott of this edition is underway on Facebook until APA agrees to replace the copies of the first edition that people are now stuck with. Please join us [...]

All is well, January 10, 2010
Given all the emotional responses around the mistakes in the new edition, I was worried about ordering my copy. However, it just arrived, and as promised, it's the corrected version (the second printing) of the 6th edition. The changes to the style included in the manual are an improvement, particularly in the way electronic resources are cited. Additionally, the organization of this edition is better. Overall, I'm pleased.

Unhelpful Guide about an Unenlightening Style, May 6, 2004
Like some of the other reviewers, I am in a program of advanced study in which APA is the "accepted" style of citation for scholarly research. As we can see, APA is an absolutely dreadful citation style, especially with its prohibition of footnotes, leading to incomprehensible paragraphs in which your prose is murdered by names and dates in parentheses. The lack of required page numbers in your citations also allows you, if you're so inclined, to transform your references into all sorts of unsupported speculation and conjecture, and no reader will be able to prove or disprove what you're saying. I realize that arguing about the merits of APA style is not the same as reviewing the merits of this book. But the weaknesses in the core citation style are so prevalent that it would be impossible to create a book of this nature with any sort of usefulness.

Now let's get to the trouble with this particular book. First, it is unnecessarily humungous, trying to beef up the very thin body of APA citation requirements (which by the way can be found for free all over the internet) with hugely unenlightening chapters on basic writing style and methods. Infinitely better guides on how to actually write and conduct research can be easily found elsewhere. Even when you do want to find instructions on the core requirements of APA citation style, this is an annoyingly difficult task in this atrociously organized and indexed book. A thin and under-compiled index sends you to hard-to-find section numbers rather than page numbers. And finally there is the practice of this book's publishers to promote a "new edition" which is merely the same as before with a couple of new entries, sold with a new cover and of course a new full price. In case you're wondering, about the only new information in this edition concerns how to reference websites and online publications. Once again, this info can be found for free on the internet, while you could also spend a pittance on a used copy of the supposedly "outdated" previous edition.

This book gets two stars because it is nominally useful (at least in theory) if you're stuck with it. But if you find yourself required to use the talent-crushing APA style in your attempts to write something of importance, first try to convince your mentors that APA is inherently anti-intellectual. Then find a way to get out of any requirements to buy this unhelpful book, and find the information on the internet instead. [~doomsdayer520~]

5th Edition APA Publication Manual, October 17, 2002
Even though there are only a few changes to the 5th edition, I would recommend getting it. It is too confusing to use an older edition especially if you are pressed for time or have never used this type of manual before.

Also I recommend marking your book with tabs such as in the "Reference Citations in Text" section or the "Reference List" chapter. Marking the book with tabs helped me find my way to the information that I needed over and over again. I've tended to use the same type of references throughout my graduate courses.

Small changes, big headaches, October 14, 2001
As an ABD-PhD candidate who's required to use APA format (and halfway through a dissertation using APA 4th edition), the small changes in this latest edition do little to add clarity and readability to a manuscript, but much to frustrate: Underlining references has been replaced with italics; after utilizing first-line indents in a Reference list (easier for a word processor) we've now gone back to second-line hanging indents; and none of these changes are clearly discussed in a "Revisions in the 5th Edition" chapter, you need to find them on your own in each chapter. I appreciate the updated guide for citing electronic resources, but the remainder seems to be aimed at "buy yet-another version" rather than major improvements and substantive changes. Maddening! If you're required to use it, you're stuck. Otherwise, keep the old 4th edition.

Very Difficult, But Necessary, September 16, 2003
Out of all the stylebooks I have had occasion to use as a professional editor, I have found this one to be the most difficult to follow and understand--the most difficult to master.

I am not a psychologist, but I am a professional medical editor, and I feel sorry for those who must follow this style when writing theses, articles, book chapters, and other items for publication. In addition, I find some of the APA's requirements (particularly in the references, which have their own unique style quite unlike most others) incomprehensible.

That having been said, this book is a must for those who want to be published by the APA, and those who are editing for same. Once it has been read many times, and key passages put to memory, it is not as hard to understand--but it shouldn't be so hard. The section on figures and tables, however, is a truly excellent primer, for any professional writer, not just those in the health care professions.

My grade: C plus.

Much better than previous editions..., August 18, 2009
Easier to read with a lot less pages. The 6th edition is a mere 272 pages vs. a whopping 439 pages in the 5th edition. This improves its portability and lap-use. ( I never could understand why a book that insists on 1 inch margins all around used 1.5 inch margin on the outer margins and left so much wasted unused space on the pages).

Material has been streamlined to reflect more of the electronic resources currently being used and the more obscure material has been consolidated. The newly added chapters on ethics, the publication process and journal article reporting standards are quite helpful. Some reviewers complained about the elimination of the chapters on writing for publication. Since each journal has it's own specific criteria for manuscript submission, I don't consider this a huge loss. Still has lots of sample for various references (and even includes video blog sources like you-tube) and information on how to display data results (Including radiologic and imaging data like MRI images)

So glad I bought the newest version, especially since it's currently half the price of the old version and a lot more user friendly and up to date. If you required to use the APA style, I strongly suggest buying this book.

Here we go again!, February 18, 2002
Here we go again... more minor changes to APA style! The hanging indent is back, we don't have to type long lists of author names anymore, and we can now use parentheses (woo-hoo!).

If you need to prepare manuscripts in APA style and don't have a previous edition of the manual, then you need this book. Though it remains relatively user-unfriendly, it is nonetheless the bible of manuscript preparation.

If you already have the fourth edition... determine how many of the changes in the fifth edition apply to your work. If you mostly write "plain vanilla" research reports and your reference lists mostly consist of ordinary journal articles, you may be able to get by with some handwritten notes in the margins of your old book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A complete guide to writing and selling your novel

So you want to write a novel? Great! That’s a worthy goal, no matter what your reason. But don’t settle for just writing a novel. Aim high. Write a novel that you intend to sell to a publisher. Writing Fiction for Dummies is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author. Here are some things you’ll learn in Writing Fiction for Dummies:

• Strategic Planning: Pinpoint where you are on the roadmap to publication; discover what every reader desperately wants from a story; home in on a marketable category; choose from among the four most common creative styles; and learn the self-management methods of professional writers.
• Writing Powerful Fiction: Construct a story world that rings true; create believable, unpredictable characters; build a strong plot with all six layers of complexity of a modern novel; and infuse it all with a strong theme.
• Self-Editing Your Novel: Psychoanalyze your characters to bring them fully to life; edit your story structure from the top down; fix broken scenes; and polish your action and dialogue.
• Finding An Agent and Getting Published: Write a query letter, a synopsis, and a proposal; pitch your work to agents and editors without fear.

Writing Fiction For Dummies takes you from being a writer to being an author. It can happen—if you have the talent and persistence to do what you need to do. ... Read more

Reviews

Ahh, Randy. What a funny guy, January 4, 2010
Review by Jill Williamson

Randy Ingermanson is my hero. I have been learning from him since I discovered his website in 2005. The man is not only a wealth of information, he teaches in such a fun and friendly way, you can't fail to learn. And now, everything Randy teaches is here in one convenient package. Man, how I wish he had written this a few years ago! It would have saved me a lot of trouble.

I highly recommend this book to any writer, but especially to beginners who want to write a novel. You'll learn how to come up with a plot and test it to see if it's strong, how to create amazing characters that are deep and engaging, how to plot your story and avoid the dreaded sagging middle, how to keep the tension and pacing strong, and how to edit your novel. This book even includes cool things like an interview between J.R.R. Tolkien and Frodo Baggins. Ahh, Randy. What a funny guy.

All novelists (new or experienced) need this book., January 1, 2010
Regardless of where you are in your novel-writing career, you need this book. Whether you're brand-spanking new at novel writing or you have a few published books under your belt, in some respect or another (maybe many others), you're still a dummy about the writing biz. I would have loved to have this book when I began my first novel. And I'm thrilled to have it now, after publishing four. Early in Writing Fiction for Dummies, Ingermanson categorizes writers as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors, and the book guides writers at every one of those levels. But as a post-grad (I assume), I still found plenty of ways my novel writing could be tightened and deepened.

Ingermanson is well known on the conference circuit for his methodical approach to creativity, dispelling the myths that you're not smart enough or talented enough to write a novel. He doesn't sap one's right-hemisphere flow; he encourages it to flow in the best possible way--so it creates a story that will draw your readers in and stay with them long after they read the last word. Highly recommended!

Buy it. Now., January 7, 2010
I won't bore you by repeating the comments others have already made. Suffice it to say there are a few must-have writing books on my shelf. Writing Fiction for Dummies has just created a new space for itself.

John Wooden always stressed fundamentals at UCLA on his way to winning all those championships. Ingermanson and Economy do that here with brilliance. It means beginners, advanced writers and all in-between need to have this book in their library. I wish it had been around when I started. Highest recommendation.

Great reference book on writing, January 16, 2010
I have been writing for over thirty years, but as I went through this book, I found a lot of helpful hints about writing. It takes you from the beginning to the end of the process. Good resource for a writer--especially a beginner.

Amazing, December 14, 2009
I am still only in the beginning of the book because of my time to read has been limited since I picked up when it was first released. Have followed Randy for two to three years through his Advance Fiction website and has always been willing to answer questions of mine and other. This book has allowed him to take his teaching and put all together for those interested in writing. Where as I have been writing for several years now, I am still learning from reading through the basics.

I would high recommend this book for anyone who is already writing or just starting out. It keeps it simple. As for more advance stuff in the later part of the book I have no doubt that it will still be easy to follow and if questions come up you can always email Randy. I also would recommend this checking out Randy's free E-zine where he goes over this stuff in more depth each month.

Writing Fiction For Dummies, February 5, 2010
//Writing Fiction for Dummies// isn't just for dummies. It's a useful book for people with a range of experience writing fiction, whether they're just starting to think about an idea for a novel, or whether they've finished a manuscript and need tips for editing and the process of publishing a book.

Like the rest of the books in the //For Dummies// series, the layout of //Writing Fiction//--with its tips, true stories, memory notes, tables and checklists--makes the content easy to learn and even easier for referencing later. Particularly enjoyable in //Writing Fiction For Dummies// is the frequent application of the concepts in the book to well-known, published books in a variety of genres. Any non-fiction book about fiction writing has the potential to be dry, but this book is not, thanks to the authors' senses of humor clearly shining through in all the right places.


Reviewed by Megan Just

Excellent writing tool, February 5, 2010
Writing Fiction for Dummies is one of the best writing tools I own. Written in the format of all the Dummies books, it has plenty of information lined out in a useful format. It is easy to skim for tips and highlights, and easy to understand. Besides some standard advice to writers, it contains a lot of material specific to writing fiction, including information on various genres. The references are useful and detailed. One of the authors, Randy Ingermanson, a best-selling author of fiction himself, has a Web site with fantastic software for writing novels that makes a perfect supplement for this book.

Want to Learn to Write Fiction? Start with This, January 16, 2010
I've followed Randy Ingermanson's blog online for several years now. His Snowflake model for fiction writing is legendary, and he is thoughtful and kind as he gives out his knowledge on fiction. I can't think of anyone better to write this book.

I have tons of fiction writing books and I've worked as a first reader for literary agents, publishers, as well as worked with authors to get published. Randy has it all in this book in an easy-to-learn format. Everyone can learn something new, and I picked up a few things that is helping me. It's not only to help others with fiction writing, but also with my own writing.

He includes links to more information and his co-author, Peter Economy, adds much richness and perspective to the content. I have been going through the exercises in this book, and finding that I'm learning more about my own writing AND myself. It's been eye-opening.

While I would especially recommend this book to a new writer, it is also quite helpful for anyone on the fiction writing road. If you've written in one genre, it would be a good book to read when changing genres. He mentions many familiar novels, too, so the examples are helpful in illustrating points.

I just got this book this week, and it's already made a difference in my attitude and writing.

Comprehensive and Orderly!, January 11, 2010
Writing for Dummies is one of the best of my 30 or so books on writing. The how-to is presented in an orderly and comprehensive manner with Dummies trademark humor. This book lays out step-by-step how to structure a novel and how to write it on six layers. The author admits this book may not be the best format for literary novels but for my favorite genres it can't be beat for a new writer.

Terrific handbook for aspiring fiction writers, December 31, 2009
I wish I would've had Writing Fiction for Dummies when I wrote my first novel several years ago. Such a wealth of information! I appreciate the authors taking a multi-faceted approach, giving room for different types of plotters. I also applaud the attention to scene structure and self editing. If you're starting this journey, or you're partway through and you don't quite know how to continue, or you're farther along but want some excellent tips, this is an informational and inspirational read. It's such a holistic resource that I plan on using it when I teach fiction. ... Read more

Editorial Review

For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journalor sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book that features a subversive collection of prompts, asking readers to muster up their best mistake- and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). Acclaimed illustrator Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts-poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting with coffee, and more-in order to experience the true creative process. Readers discover a new way of art and journal making-and new ways to escape the fear of the blank page and fully engage in the creative process. ... Read more

Reviews

Wreaking havoc on my journal while shedding fears..., July 7, 2007
When this journal arrived, my heart sank when I saw there was a tiny tear on the bottom of the spine. My first reaction was to contact Amazon and have them ship me a brand new copy. Then I came to my senses; the whole purpose of the journal *was* to wreck it, and in light of what I was going to do to it, a tiny tear would be the least of its worries.

You see, I made a promise to myself: Follow the instructions and wreck the journal, no matter what my better judgment told me.

It took a few days to get started. In fact, I spent those first few days grieving over what I had to do to the journal (yes, I started by reading through some of the instructions). When it comes to my books and journals, I'm a perfectionist and *damaging* any of them makes me uneasy. Even the sight of someone else damaging a book makes me uneasy.

But, when I finally let loose and did one of the tasks in the book, suddenly it didn't seem so bad. (Plus, it helped that I started with such an innocuous task -- sticking a sticker from bought fruit on a page.) Before long, I was flinging the book at the walls, ripping pages, drawing with glue, showering with it, and a bunch of other interesting (yet highly suspect) activities.

At the end of the day, my family members may think I'm a little nuts for buying a journal I would eventually destroy, however, it's incredibly fun, liberating, and therapeutic. Enough so that I enlisted the aid of a Starbucks barista for my recent experiment (and I think he liked it too).

Truth be told, it exceeded my expectations. Usually, I'm not a guided-journal girl, but Kerri somehow transformed what could be a boring task into something amazing. Kudos to her for it.

(Between you and me, I'm strongly contemplating getting one just for my journal collection. It's *that* good.)

The most fun I've had in years!, November 20, 2007
I received this book less than 24 hours ago, and so far it has been a blast! I battled cancer last year, and was given dozens (literally) of pretty blank journals. I didn't open any of them. I didn't want to write about cancer and process about cancer. I wanted to KILL CANCER and demolish any and all cancer-related merchandise. This journal is so cathartic. It doesn't take itself too seriously but allows for rage, anger, fear, despair, and all kinds of other messy emotions. Plus, I finally found a use for all the stickers I have laying around in drawers and cabinets.

It is sad that we live in a society in which some of us need "permission" to cut, tear, mutilate, and destroy things in an effort to purge nastiness from our heads. But -- since we do, I'm glad this book is out there.

not quite expected..., July 24, 2007
For some reason, during preorder, I thought this was a book to read. Like, a book full of words that you sit down in a chair with a cup of coffee and read through from start to finish. You know...a *book*.

When it arrived, then, I was a little disappointed to find that it wasn't, in fact, a book to read at all. It looked like just journal prompts -- bits of writing on the page and lots of blank space for you to fill in. I set it aside.

I picked it back up when I was getting ready to put it on the shelf, where it would have languished with the other books I'd get around to someday. I flipped through it. A prompt caught my eye.

I started reading the prompts and blurbs, and it started sinking in: this isn't a book at all. This is PARTICIPATORY. This is a book that doesn't let you sit there, passively, with your coffee, just observing what the author's trying to say. This is a book that makes you get up, makes you smear it with crazy and beat it up in ways that most people couldn't imagine treating their books or journals. Especially not a journal. Wrecking a *journal*?

Over the next few days, I carried this book with me and beat the livin' tar out of it. I followed the prompts. I wrote on pages with food and with my tongue. I ripped pages out and crumpled them up and stuck them back in. I sat with it in a chair with my coffee, for sure, but I also spilled coffee on it -- on purpose. I wrote in things backwards and scribbled really, really hard.

In short, this book went through things that most of us should never have to. I kicked this thing around and waited while it came back for more.

And, you know...? It was TREMENDOUSLY LIBERATING. I beat the snot outta the pages, but when I was done, there was a whole new surface for me to look at and consider. I found new colors (thanks to berry-blue gum and dirt). I found that I really like painting over surfaces that have been scored by ballpoint pens and fingernails, and that watercolor over crumpled paper makes the most interesting texture, always unpredictable.

What I thought was going to be a disappointment has probably been one of the best books out there for getting me to "lighten up" a bit and just get back to playing freely on a page. From one star in my brain, this book elevated itself with its simple presentation and revolutionary (to me) ideas to a five-star keeper. I'm even considering getting more, to hand out to artists-blocked friends this holiday season.

Get this book. Even if you're not blocked now, or can't imagine defacing a book (even if it tells you to). One day, if you ever are, this book can help knock you out of the rut you're in, and put you on a whole new path.

Wonderful Book!, July 3, 2007
At first I hestiated to follow the directions in the book but it was really wonderful when I let myself go and started to wreck this journal. It has been so much fun and a truly liberating experience to play with this book. I also recommend Living Out Loud by Keri Smith also.

Every person needs this book, September 25, 2007
This book is just plain fun! I think everyone needs it. This book is all about having fun, playing, creating, letting loose and breaking all the rules. I can't tell you how much fun I've had with this journal. At first some of the "assignments" seemed a little strange and I wasn't sure if I would actually do some of them. But I have to tell you that once I got into it I was having a blast with this book and doing all the fun and silly things Keri suggests. This book would be the perfect stress reliever for anyone. It would also be a great way to bring out that inner child in all of us. You can make a mess, tear things up, play around and do all the things that most of us adults have long since given up. Forget about all the stuffy journals out there that want you analyze your dreams and explore your deepest thoughts. Just play and have some fun. This book is all you need!

GREAT gift for kids too!!, May 28, 2008
This book was actually in the juvenile section of my local Barnes and Noble/Borders (I can't remember), and I bought this on a lark for my 9 year old daughter, hoping to get her creative juices flowing and stop her "I hate journaling" whininess (journaling is often a homeschool assignment) in its tracks. This book was AMAZINGLY successful.

Okay, so it's not really about writing (although I think this book would be even better with some interesting writing prompts scattered throughout) but it is about thinking outside the box about books and communication and art. It's about using everyday, unconventional things around you to express yourself on paper.

My 10 year old son watched my daughter for a day and then asked for a copy. The last 4 days they have been going to town on their books. Tonight, watching them smear dinner into the pages (which I covered with clear packing tape -- looks cool!) my 5 year old decided he wants one too.

Oh, FYI, there is also one page that says, "Burn this page." We burned the page together, near the sink with a pile of wet paper towels nearby. But anyone buying this for a child might want to keep that in mind, and either remove the page or make it clear that the child is NOT to do that page without an adult helping.

So all in all, we are all very happy with this book.

5 stars.

Not for the Faint of Heart!, November 30, 2007
The first word that comes to mind in describing Wreck this Journal is EDGY. Take every off-beat idea you'd never think of, describe it in a way that makes people WANT to do it, add some really terrific exercises for exploring your limits, and you come up with this book.

I first heard about Wreck This Journal in an altered art group I belong to - one of the list owners gushed about the zany things she was trying based on the "instructions" in this book. Some of the ideas hit me as, "duh - why didn't I ever think of that?" to endeavors I was pretty sure I'd never do. But boy - how wrong I was! I really got into "wrecking this journal" - and in the process, expanded creative limits I didn't even know I had. Keri Smith definitely thinks outside any box you can come up with - and she's certainly not just a "color outside the lines" kind of girl. No...she's someone who wouldn't even pick up crayons to color, preferring instead to run over the paper with her car tire, fill areas with random staples, mail the page to herself, and then find some other totally cool way to radically alter the paper. Her spirit of exploration comes through loud and clear in this book - and it's impossible not to catch her energy.

This great Journal will remind you that paper is just paper and that art is just art - and I mean that in the best sense. You'll be more tempted to explore your art in new and exciting ways after reading this - and the fun is contagious. I'm having such a great time with this that my 7 year old daughter (the Diva in Training) begged me and begged me to get her a copy...which she'll be delighted to find under the tree this Christmas.

You may purchase this book with the thinking you wouldn't/couldn't follow some of Ms Smith's suggestions - but it won't be long before you're attacking the Journal with reckless abandon. That's just the effect this book has on you. You'll adopt a no-holds-barred attitude - and have great fun in the process. You'll also be more than a little surprised at how much you end up loving the finished Journal.

This book is an addictive impetus in a sense - and whether it was Ms Smith's intention or not - you'll find yourself pushing your boundaries in your art...and your life. But isn't that what it's all about?

Beautiful Mistake, September 14, 2007
A creative, funny, and engaging way to let out all that excess creativity in one huge, disgusting mass, that really turns out beautiful in the end.

I take it everywhere, even though I'm nearly finished with the instructions on each page, I'm hardly finished with the book. I'm determined to fill each and every blank spot with the most embarrassing nonsense I can dream up.

That's the point, right there, to overcome all the embarrassment that arises when one is presented when blank page and raw creativity meet, this book shows that you need to mess up a million times, and that the most fatal mistake can be the greatest thing you ever do.

Great for loosening up!, September 6, 2007
I love this journal! Have you wanted to be a person who journals, but who gets stuck when you see that blank page? This is the book for you! Each page gives you instructions of things to do to these journal pages. At first it may seem a little silly, but soon you begin to relax, and can see that journaling can be fun. Once you go through these exercises you can face any blank book with courage and a sense of humor!

Wreck it!, April 2, 2009
Want to know just how far outside your comfort zone you're likely to go? You'll be instructed to burn pages. Rip pages out and throw them away. Spit coffee on them. Scribble on them. Rip them up. Turn them into paper airplanes. Compost them. Draw ugly things on them. Document a boring event. Deface a photo.

Many of these exercises sound silly and pointless, but they aren't. Many writers and book-lovers find themselves highly reluctant to break the rules they're used to following--how many book-lovers do you know, after all, who refuse to so much as dog-ear a page? Wreck This Journal forces you to work through the blocks, fears, and even grief caused by rule-breaking. It helps you to think in new ways, do things you fear to do. It might sound over-wrought, but when you stare at the page that instructs you to rip it out and lose it, and you get that knot in your stomach at the thought of defacing a book, you'll understand what it can do for you.

It's hard to be truly creative, after all, if you continually color inside the lines and do only what you're supposed to. Writing "rules" are there for a reason, but that reason isn't to stop you from doing new things, just to make sure you know why you're doing them and do them for a good reason--something that all too many people forget. A book like Wreck This Journal can be a lovely way to drag yourself out of a rut if this has happened to you.

My only reservation is that there are a couple of things that could have been thought out a little better. For instance, one exercise has you tie the book to a string and take it for a "walk", dragging it along the ground. Another has you lick a page. Do these in that order, and you're just asking to get sick from whatever the book has picked up from the ground.

So use a little common sense, but otherwise, go crazy! Set your creativity free. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Sixteenth Edition is available in book form and as a subscription website.  The same content from The Chicago Manual of Style is in both versions.

While digital technologies have revolutionized the publishing world in the twenty-first century, one thing still remains true: The Chicago Manual of Style is the authoritative, trusted source that writers, editors, and publishers turn to for guidance on style and process. For the sixteenth edition, every aspect of coverage has been reconsidered to reflect how publishing professionals work today. Though processes may change, the Manual continues to offer the clear, well-considered style and usage advice it has for more than a century.

The sixteenth edition offers expanded information on producing electronic publications, including web-based content and e-books. An updated appendix on production and digital technology demystifies the process of electronic workflow and offers a primer on the use of XML markup, and a revised glossary includes a host of terms associated with electronic as well as print publishing. The Chicago system of documentation has been streamlined and adapted for a variety of online and digital sources. Figures and tables are updated throughout the book—including a return to the Manual’s popular hyphenation table and new, comprehensive listings of Unicode numbers for special characters.

With the wisdom of a hundred years of editorial practice and a wealth of industry expertise from both Chicago’s staff and an advisory board of publishing professionals, The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, is an invaluable resource in this rapidly changing world. If you work with words—no matter what the delivery medium—this is the one reference you simply must have.

Reviews

Chicago has updated itself enough so I think I can actually toss some of my other reference books!, September 23, 2010
The new version is certainly worth the purchase price! They've added an entire new section on electronic publishing, updated capitalization rules (web [lowercase] is now acceptable), made things more consistent, and speaking of consistency, added a new section on parallel structure. :)

The updated rules for numbers now allow me to toss the ancient GPO Style Manual kept handy for that (I work in science and technology), not to mention the new usage section covering most of the troublesome words means I'll be reaching for my American Heritage dictionary less frequently.

Well done Chicago! Thank you!

Improvement over 15th edition, October 22, 2010
I find this edition much easier to use and more complete than the 15th edition. I was able to toss my "addendum" reference material that I kept with my 15th edition because each of those items are clearly covered in this version. I highly recommended this book for everyone.

Still tops in style manuals, September 21, 2010
Although a professional writer, I still get stuck on questions of basic usage. The Chicago Manual of Style remains the final word on what is correct. I'm glad to have the updated edition since some rules may change over time.

Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition, November 13, 2010
As a book editor (also called a book doctor), I must keep up with the latest style issues for books, and CMOS is the bible of book style. It may not be easy to find entries in the printed version, but I use the CMOS Web site to search the subject I need. It tells me the sections to examine in the book, which simplifies and speeds up the process. I also have an "Ask the Book Doctor" column that appears in many newsletters and Web sites for writers, and I welcome readers of the column to send me questions. I often turn to the Chicago Manual of Style to find the absolute and final answers to those questions. It's especially essential for resolving differences of opinions among members of critique circles and writers groups.The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition

Probably the single most important book ever written, September 10, 2010
This is an indispensable reference to all academic writers. Without it, I would be be most definitely lost. The updates in the 16th edition are most helpful as we live in a world of ever-changing media. The 15th edition did not tell me how to document material from kindle edition books.

Chicago Manual of Style is a helpful guide for all writers, editors, and proofreaders., November 10, 2010
I do freelance work as an editor and proofreader. I also tutor students in writing and they need to follow specific style guidelines. I find the Chicago Manual of Style to be a very helpful, detailed guide. Most publishing companies use CM as their style guide, so I recommend it to freelancers. Even though I've tried the online subscription, I find a printed version easier to navigate.

A Must Have For Editors, December 13, 2010
Admittedly, there is nothing exciting about reading an editing manual. If you need to know the rules there is no better go to source though. I wish I would have had this in college because it would have saved me a lot of frustration!

Thrilled, October 14, 2010
As usual, a necessity for any editor. There isn't a great deal of difference between the 15th and the 16th, but some of the changes are pretty big. Very pleased, and I love the light blue color inside. (Hey, I like pretty things, too!) ... Read more

Editorial Review

For pure pleasure, few experiences are as satisfying as a chance to explore the world’s great culinary traditions and landmarks—and here, in the latest title of our popular series of illustrated travel gift books, you’ll find a fabulous itinerary of foods, dishes, markets, and restaurants worth traveling far and wide to savor.

On the menu is the best of the best from all over the globe: Tokyo’s freshest sushi; the spiciest Creole favorites in New Orleans; the finest vintages of the great French wineries; the juiciest cuts of beef in Argentina; and much, much more. You’ll sample the sophisticated dishes of fabled chefs and five-star restaurants, of course, but you’ll also discover the simpler pleasures of the side-street cafés that cater to local people and the classic specialties that give each region a distinctive flavor.

Every cuisine tells a unique story about its countryside, climate, and culture, and in these pages you’ll meet the men and women who transform nature’s bounty into a thousand gustatory delights. Hundreds of appetizing full-color illustrations evoke an extraordinary range of tastes and cooking techniques; a wide selection of recipes invites you to create as well as consume; sidebars give a wealth of entertaining information about additional sites to visit as well as the cultural importance of the featured food; while lively top ten lists cover topics from chocolate factories to champagne bars, from historic food markets to wedding feasts, harvest celebrations, and festive occasions of every kind. In addition, detailed practical travel information provides all the ingredients you’ll need to cook up a truly delicious experience for even the most demanding of traveling gourmets. ... Read more

Reviews

Great Book!, November 10, 2009
This book is sooo cool! I have been to many of the places they write about, and find the book to be amazingly well researched. I plan to use it as a travel planner supplement for future trips because you can't get this kind of information out of a regular travel book. Plus, it a great daydreaming tool. One can flip the pages and imagine wonderful places to visit and eat. I especially appreciate the way they cover all types of dining experiences -- it's not just about expensive, 5-star restaurants. Each page contains loads of information that connects the food to the context of the place. These pieces were clearly written by insiders, people who know the area and can guide you to authentic, memorable experiences.

This is my idea of a great travel book., November 11, 2009
Who doesn't want to eat their way around the world? I love this book, it takes care of my holiday shopping list and is hugely entertaining. Food Journeys captures the essence of why I/most people travel -- they want to eat great food in gorgeous locales with interesting people. The photos are beautiful and the info is rich and very helpful. Hadn't thought of food festivals as a good travel destination. Also looking forward to hunting down the best baguette. Lots of fun ideas here. Am glad someone finally made a book like this.

Love the "lists of 10", November 12, 2009
This book represents my secret -- I don't eat when I am out travelinig, but I travel to eat.... And imagining what I am going to eat when I go to places is really almost as good as being there (not really, but it does help to build the anticipation.) I found myself lingering over the Lists of 10 things in many of the categories. It's the kind of compare and contrast thing that really gets you thinking. The cheese tours of France and the Literary Watering holes of the world particularly, particularly are begging to be implemented.

For the armchair as well as experienced traveler, November 11, 2009
I suggest that you keep a copy of this evocative book by your desk. On those endless afternoons when you've had just about enough of spreadsheets and office coffee, pick it up and turn through the pages at random. Yes, there is a world outside your four walls and the luscious photos and descriptions in this book will conjure up the tastes, scents, and sights of places you've never even heard of...you'll be roused from your boring day funk, your appetite whet for food adventures. Just when you feel that you may never experience life outside a cubicle again, this book will remind you that's it's a mysterious and diverse world out there--seek it out!

Pure Pleasure, November 10, 2009
I bought two copies of Food Journeys of a Lifetime: one for myself, the other for a foodie friend. The photography is beautiful; the descriptions are comprehensive (when to go, planning, recommended websites, and more); and the layout makes it easy to take it all in. (Thank you, National Geographic editors, for including an index!) Food plays a big part in my travel, and I will use this book to dream, to plan, to reminisce. Five stars!

Culinary Globetrotting, National Geographic Style, February 1, 2010
When I have the privilege to travel to exotic places abroad, I've generally made it a point to find an opportunity to take a cooking lesson in the local cuisine. I figured out a while back that the most intimate way to get to know a culture is through the food they grow, create, cook and eat. Now comes a book from the editors of one of my favorite magazines, National Geographic Traveler, that focuses on the culinary adventures to be had around the globe. As expected, it's a handsome coffee-table book that takes full advantage of the vast catalog of images and articles long featured in the magazine. It's divided into nine beguiling chapters:

-- "Specialties & Ingredients" focuses on foods which are unique to specific locales, ranging from Vermont maple syrup to the fresh sushi found at dawn in Tokyo's Tsukiji Market to the vanilla bean that originated on the island of R�union.
-- "Outstanding Markets" spotlights the world's great bazaars such as Thailand's floating markets, Venice's Rialto Fish Market, and in my own backyard, San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace.
-- "Seasonal Delights" runs the gamut from French truffles to Finnish crayfish to Maryland's soft-shell crabs.
-- "In the Kitchen" brings to the fore the intimate secrets of the world's cuisines through classic technique and unique ingredients. Recipes are plentiful in this section's sidebars.
-- "Favorite Street Foods" is the section with which I have the most affinity since it highlights exactly the type of food that I would eat as a traveler, the local eats found on mobile food carts, at street kiosks, and in expansive night markets.
-- "Great Food Towns" travels far and wide to identify the culinary capitals from Bologna to Goa to Hong Kong to the inevitable destination, Paris.
-- "Ultimate Luxuries" identifies the rare treats to be discovered by those with deep pockets, for example, kaiseki feasting in Kyoto and luxuriant dining at the Hotel Cipriani in Venice.
-- "The Best Wine, Beer, & More" focuses on some unusual beverages such as Peruvian pisco and Greenland's glacier beer, as well as more predictable choices like Oregon's microbreweries and Sonoma wines.
-- "Just Desserts" looks at the world's confectionary delights such as Belgian chocolates and Florida's key lime pie.

For each entry, the editors provide critical information on when to go, how to plan a particular culinary adventure, and what relevant websites can help with the planning. There are entertaining top ten lists throughout the book in categories as diverse as Extreme Restaurants and Monastic Tipples. My only complaints about the book are that certain areas (Western Europe, Japan) seem to be favored at the expense of more exotic locales and that there aren't as many "a-ha" moments as I would have hoped from a list as comprehensive as this one. Still, the photography is mostly spectacular, and the editors recognize the most important discovery for the reader - that what and where we eat becomes as much a part of our travel as what we see - and the book successfully delivers an exercise in cultural immersion through our individual palates.

On "Food Journeys for a Lifetime", December 1, 2009
On the basis of a favorable newspaper review, I bought this book for my son, who has been a chef and kitchen manager in several restaurants, as a birthday gift. I didn't really do more than scan it myself, but I could tell from his reaction that he liked it and appreciated my choice of gift. He, the famous curmudgeon, even gave me a hug!

Foodie Fun!!, December 26, 2010
A richly produced National Geographic book. . . . I received this as a Christmas present and enjoy its quirkiness immensely. The subtitle suggests why: "500 Extraordinary Places to Eat around the Globe." And I have actually been to some of the places, such as Ben & Jerry's in Vermont, Philly cheese steak venues in Philadelphia, the Beaver Club in Montreal, steak in Buenos Aires, beer halls of Munich, and Les Deux Magots in Paris. Some nice memories came back to me! Sitting at Les Deux Magots in Paris, having a Croque Monsieur for lunch. . . .

The book is divided into a series of sections, such as Specialties & ingredients, Outstanding markets, Seasonal delights, In the kitchen, Favorite street foods, Great food towns, Ultimate luxuries, the best wine (beer and more), and Just desserts. After each title page, a series of examples is provided. For instance, after "Specialties & ingredients," we see a segment on lobsters (from the Atlantic coast) to maple syrup (Vermont). Also, there are "Top 10 listings," such as Top 10 Unusual Food and Drink Festivals, such as the Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas, or the Cabbage Festival in Hungary, or the Fete de fromage (Cheese Festival) in France. . . .

In short, a lot of fun if you are a foodie. Not much in the way of recipes. Not much detail on any of the 500 places to eat. But a richly illustrated, enjoyable work to peruse.

a fabulous journey, June 22, 2010
I gave this as a gift to my Mom who is 86. She can't travel anymore, but loves going to all the places by reading. She loves it and says the photos are spectacular!

But Can You Lift It?, March 3, 2010
Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe � National Geographic Society 2009
By Nan C.
That travel bug you were sure airport hassle, terrorists, or a current stay on Poverty Row had killed, comes right back to haunt you as soon as you open this book. Supersized 12"L x 9.5"W and 1" Deep (not counting sturdy hard cover), this five-pounder is no takalong guide. But what a beautiful way to browse and dream! Be sure to take notes - in case.
National Geographic never shys away from sending contributors to wild parts of the world. Foodie destinations in most corners of the globe are covered, as though grim State Department Travel Warnings do not exist. Wonderful index of 313 non-gushy pages, beautiful photos (of course), suggestions for international hotel chains, bed & breakfasts, campgrounds to stay near the goal - from gourmet cooking schools to street food vendor-specialists in world capitals and villages, including the USA, plus the occasional sidelined recipe. Those Preserved Lemons somehow inspired me to get to Morocco ASAP! ###

... Read more

Editorial Review

To live in a pristine land ... to roam the wilderness ... to choose a site, cut trees, and build a home ... Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. Here is a tribute to a man in tune with his surroundings who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond. ... Read more

Reviews

To Do a Thing to Completion
This has to be one of my very favorite books. I have read it front to back at least 7 times! It is written with the true adventurer in mind. Every detail of his experience makes the reader wish it were he/she that was there with him. If you have ever wished you could just go off into the woods, build a cabin and be self-sufficiant, This is the book for you. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told. ... Read more

Reviews

Uncovering the Fossil
For the legions of Stephen King fans out there (which is to say a lot), the first third of the book containing his short memoir is truly a gift. One can't help wanting to read about his/her favorite writer after being transported to fantastic worlds countless times in Mr. King's prolific career. Some fans would have paid... gladly for the first 101 pages of the memoir ("C.V." he calls it), which includes heartfelt tidbits about his brother, mother and his long battles with alcohol and drug addiction.

The second part, "On Writing," is where the aspiring novelists will find inspiration. Assuming you're a serious writer (or wanting to be a published one), you'd no doubt would have read the countless manuals on the mechanics of writing. With Mr. King, you do get short lessons in the mechanics of prose here and there. What he mostly offers to the aspiring writer is the inspiration, the cheerleading, and as some have already suggested, after reading it makes you want to sit and write something. He actually allows you into his writing routine, when and where he writes, how many months it takes to write the first draft, and even how he goes about editing the second draft.

Some very original thoughts I found quite interesting:

1. Story is a fossil you find on the ground, and you gradually dig it out slowly.

2. He doesn't plot his stories. He puts "a group of characters in some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free." In fact he even goes as far as to say, "plot is shift, and best kept under house arrest."

3. Write first draft with the "door" closed, and the second draft with it open.

There are truly gems here for writers, simple, direct, to the point. As always, he doesn't talk down to you. There is even advice on finding agents.

The final section elaborates his near-death experience in summer of 1999, when he was hit by a van driven by Bryan Smith. The book is actually a sandwich: two slices of autobigraphy with the writing advice as the meat of the book.

Though the thin volume was not your edge-of-the-seat thriller or horror, I found myself reading the darn thing in one seating. A pretty good deal for a non-fiction book. This may sound funny, too, but I felt like the book became a good friend of mine. In a word, this is book is intimate. As a fan, and perhaps a writer, that might be worth something.

For writers and readers -- get inside King's mind
The cover shows an inviting scene, a country house with a warm light glowing in the living room window, a set of double doors leading down to the cellar, the house lined with pink and white flowers. "Come on in," the picture seems to say. "I have a story to tell."

It generally takes Stephen King about three months to finish the first draft of a book. He began "On Writing" at the end of 1997, but put it aside a few months later, unsure how to finish it. Over a year later, in mid-1999, King decided to spend the summer "finishing the damn writing book."

The events of late-June, 1999 interfered with those plans. King spent three weeks in the hospital after he was struck by a van. In late July he decided it was time to start writing again, and it was "On Writing" that he chose for his return to work. The finished product, "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" will be released by Scribner in early October, 2000.

It was a discussion with Amy Tan while on tour with the Rock Bottom Remainders that inspired King to write this book. "No one ever asks about the language," Tan said in response to King's query about the sorts of questions that she doesn't get at author appearances. "Serious" authors get asked that but they don't ask the popular novelists who, he says "care about language in our humble way, and care passionately about the art and craft of telling stories on paper."

King opens with a lengthy memoir that "attempted to show some of the incidents and life-situations which made me into the sort of writer I turned out to be." He calls this section "C.V," as in "curriculum vitae," his list of accomplishments and job skills. Some of the story is familiar, though many of the details are new. He works his way through his stages as a writer from childhood to novice to apprentice to worldwide success.

For the first time in any detail, King addresses his battle with alcohol and drug abuse, when it started, how it evolved and how he eventually was forced to confront his problem. He reveals that he has little memory of writing "Cujo" ("I wish I could remember enjoying the good parts as I put them down on the page"), that he hadn't realized that when he was writing "The Shining" he was writing about himself, and how Annie Wilkes in "Misery" could well be seen as a symbol for coke and alcohol. "I decided I was tired of being Annie's pet writer," King says.

King is more revealing of his life in this book than ever before. He is frank in discussing the merits and deficiencies of many of his books. Of "Rose Madder" and "Insomnia" he says: "These are (much as I hate to admit it) stiff, trying-too-hard novels." He talks about how he reached a point in "The Stand" where he had to set the novel aside for several weeks until he could figure out how to go on. If he had written a couple of hundred pages less at that point he probably would have abandoned the book completely. Also described in some depth are the issues he had to deal with in writing "Carrie," "The Dead Zone" and "The Green Mile." He spends some time relating an event that inspired him to write the upcoming novel "From a Buick Eight" and the research required for the second draft that had to be deferred after his accident - a couple of weeks riding with the Pennsylvania State Police.

"But I'm not a writer," the prospective reader of "On Writing" might cry. "Why should I want to read this book?" While a substantial section of the book is about writing, King's approach to it and his advice to writers at all levels of the art, there is much here for the non-writer as well. King's success has made him a high-profile personality, more so than many other authors, and the level of public interest in his life is easily demonstrated by the overwhelming number of requests for updates on his condition received by his office and official web site in the weeks following his accident. Here is the opportunity to read King on King, and on his books. He describes the symbolism in many of his novels, rarely planted intentionally on the first draft but uncovered, as an archaeologist uncovers a ruin, during the writing of the second draft.

For writers, though, the book is chock full of advice, some of it common sense, some of it uniquely King's. His taboos of writing: adverbs (especially those in dialog attributes) and the passive voice. His description of the writer's toolbox: Common tools on the top shelf (vocabulary and grammar), elements of grammar and style on the second level, along with an understanding of the paragraph as the basic element in fiction, and a synthesis of all of these along with innate and developed skills at the bottom.

"If you want to be a writer," King says, "you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." King calls reading the creative center of a writer's life. He advocates reading in small sips as well as long drinks - in waiting rooms, in line at the theater, in the checkout line at the grocery store, on the treadmill at the gym and in the john.

When it comes to writing, though, King is more selective. "We do best in a place of our own," he advises. The most important feature of this place: a door that you can and are willing to shut. No TV, no phone and no video games. Curtains closed. Write first with the door closed. Write for yourself without worry about theme, symbolism or accuracy of details. Those are for the second draft, which is usually written with the door open, after he has sent the book to a select group of critical readers.

King includes examples of both good and bad writing, sometimes taken from his own work, sometimes taken from such writers as Elmore Leonard and John Katzenbach. The final chapter of the book is an annotated rewrite of his first draft of the opening section of "1408," one of the three stories in the recent "Blood and Smoke" audio release. This section should silence critics who suggest that King doesn't rewrite his work. It is an interesting look at the creative process and what an author should look for when editing his or her own material.

He also describes his approach to research. It's all about back story, he says. "What I'm looking for is nothing but a touch of verisimilitude, like the handful of spices you chuck into a really good spaghetti sauce to really finish her off."

Toward the end of the book, King tackles the subject of his accident. This section, called "On Living," is partly a bully platform for him to get his version of the story down, as well as his opinion about how the legal system handled the case of driver Bryan Smith. It also describes how an otherwise ideal day went wrong, the minute details of his injuries and some of the challenges of his recovery process. "Life isn't a support system for art - it's the other way around," he concludes.

Throughout the book, but especially in this chapter, King pays tribute to wife, Tabitha. She is King's "Ideal Reader," the person for whom he writes all of his books, the one who he wants to make laugh or cry through his writing. His love and admiration for her shines through, from a touching scene in their early courtship where he sits at her feet as she reads her poetry in a workshop, his hand on her calf, to her organization of a group intervention to make him confront his addiction problems, and all the way through to her support and encouragement of him during his convalescence.

At the end, King includes a list of nearly a hundred novels that he considers the best that he's read in the last three or four years. "A good many of these might show you some new ways of doing your work. Even if they don't, they're apt to entertain you," he concludes.

The same might be said of "On Writing."

Get out your notebooks, sharpen your pencils...and learn.
Though far from the definitive writer's guideline, this book shines a unique perspective on the craft. Stephen King lays down the law and then teaches it. He shares his techniques, his pet peeves, and his own personal horrific experiences - both as child and adult - and he does it all within the cerebral classroom of the printed page. He wraps a juicy filling of personal tragedy, growth and experience within a tight covering of his famous story telling style.

As a human, I was touched by his childhood anecdotes and often laughed with him about his insecurities. I am still in awe at what he has recently had to overcome physically. I mean, damn.

As a writer, I am grateful for a brief glimpse into his vocational world. I gained confidence from learning about things I have been doing right and have changed many bad habits (may the adverb rest in peace). I've read several tomes on the subject and believe his reigns as the most complete.

I've been a fan of King's since the seventh grade when I was given The Dead Zone and Cujo as an Easter present. A year later I had read every book he'd published (with the exception of the dreaded Limited Editions of which I could opine negatively for hours - suffice it to say that writing should be for everyone to read, not just the rich). I've read or listened to all his books since. I can honestly say, that this is my favorite.

Sometimes the coldest hands to wrap around your neck are the true ones.

The only bad thing I can say about this book is that it's too short, something one rarely has the opportunity to state regarding the beloved author.

A huge thank you to Mr. King for a brief indulgence into the life of a genius.

An Amazing Look Into The Mind Of An Amazing Author
Being a huge Stephen King fan I knew that I would enjoy this book. What surprised me was just how good this book was. It provides valuable insight not only into the mind of King but on the writing process itself. You will find yourself inspired to actually sit down at the computer yourself and finally put down those ideas that have been floating around in your head. However, King does make it clear that writing is a serious job and that it is not for anyone. His insight into the business side of the craft will prove to be valuable to any aspiring writer. I always enjoy the "note to the reader" section that King often includes in his novels. On Writing reads like one long "note to the reader" and is often funny and at other times quite touching. King is amazingly honest about his own troubles and faults and the section of the book detailing his accident and road to recovery are inspiring. Most of all the best thing about this book is that King's love of writing, reading and all things about books comes shining through. What an amazing man.

Climbing out of a pidgeon-hole.
First of all, I should probably mention that I had never read a Stephen King book in my entire life. I've never had much interest in horror or mystery or suspense. Naturally, I wasn't sure what to expect, and I was a little wary. Another motivation for picking up this book was the fact that I've been writing for the vast majority of my life, and I was curious to see if I was on the right track. I received 'On Writing' for Christmas and read it through a week in January.

I was absolutely stunned. Sure, I respected Mr. King as a successful novelist, and knew a little of his personal life; after this book, I felt like I'd known him personally for years. As many others have mentioned, this book is really divided into three parts: a short memoir, a manual of writing technique, and the now well-publicized accident.

The first part, "C.V.", was really glimpses into Mr. King's life, interesting little episodes that he considered life lessons or things that sparked his sense of humor. It also provides a very important part of a good writer: He grew up loving to read, and reading frequently. He also started writing and submitting his work at an early age. "C.V." paints the picture of a real-life struggling novelist: how he had to work at several different crummy (though interesting) jobs while supporting a family, a drug habit, and a hefty manuscript.

The second part was "On Writing". In this, Mr. King takes almost no credit for what he's saying. He constantly refers back to 'The Elements of Style' by Strunk & White. He also gives you, flat-out but not in a patronizing tone, what you need to succeed as a decent writer. The best way to summarize how I felt about the section as a whole is this: when he revealed that he taught high school English for several years before the success of 'Carrie', I was desperately jealous of those students. He'd teach an *awesome* class.

I was most impressed by the last section of the book, where he explores his painful memories of the accident and his slow road to recovery. It literally wrenched my heart when he talked of his wife setting up a table in the stuffy hall that he sat at to write for the first time. It was obvious that writing is more than just a business occupation--it's obvious Mr. King has a true passion for the craft.

I applaud him for it--such people come few and far between.

Read this book. You won't regret it.

A teacher who's actually done it.
I have never read Stephen King's work, but being an aspiring writer, I bought this one simply because the reviews were too good to ignore.

I'll add to this pile now.

The biographical first part is written in a smooth and flowing style that keeps you turning the pages late into the hours. It details King's journey to becoming a published author, as well as his battle with substance abuse. All the humour, heartbreak, and hardship shine through to inspire anyone who is unlucky enough to want to write.

The second part contains the truth about the craft. The work, sacrifice, and the suggestion that writing is something you just might *not* be able to do. In addition, it contains helpful sections pertaining to building good writing habits, things to avoid, exercises, etc. There are some things I don't agree with, such as avoiding adverbs if possible, but it takes nothing away. The information in this part of the book is something you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere else. To some, it'll be ugly, to those who really do want to write, it'll be comforting to know that everyone doing it is fighting the same battle.

The third part is King's view on his close brush with death and how it's affected his life.

The two "And Furthermore" sections at the end contain a fully corrected piece of fiction that is an invaluable lesson, and a recommended reading list.

If you want to be a writer, buy this book. Whether you read King's work or not.

Instant Classic
Stephen King has produced what I believe will long be considered one of the greatest instructional works on fiction writing. If you are an aspiring creative writer, there is no excuse - you need this book.

"On Writing" is divided into two sections. The first comprises a series of essays, relating everything from his childhood to the publication of Carrie. This is entertaining writing within and of itself, and really shows King's ability to engage a reader. In the second section King tells us what he's learned in a lifetime of being one of the world's top writers. This is what you're paying your money for.

Unlike the many other books of this sort I've read, "On Writing" doesn't pull any punches and isn't afraid to state it plainly. King has something that most other instructional writer's don't have - about 8 zillion sales to back up anything he writes - and therefore isn't afraid to tell us that "the road to hell is paved with adverbs" and "it's impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad one." There are several examples given of both good and bad writing, laced with King's observations on many of the authors he has read over the years.

I can't recommend "On Writing" high enough. This line alone was worth the price of the book - "...You must not come lightly to the page..." - and it's only a fraction of the wisdom you're sure to encounter. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A step-by-step guide to writing and managing the writer's life covers each portion of a written project, addresses such concerns as writer's block and getting published, and offers awareness and survival tips. Reprint. Tour. K. NYT. ... Read more

Reviews

Laughs and Lifelines!, December 27, 2000
This is not a how-to book. This is not a New Age manual for freeing your creativity in ethereal ways. This is Anne Lamott, for heaven's sake...and that means it's funny! As in, laugh- till-you-can't-read-the-words-through-the-tears-in-your-eyes funny. (Some call this therapy, and I'm inclined to agree.)

Though aimed at writers, this book is full of sage advice and razor-edged honesty for the average joe. If you're a writer--and I claim to be one--it's more than a few anecdotes and good advice; it's a lifeline in the thrashing seas of rough-draftdom, a foothold on the sands of jealousy and vain ambition. Anne makes it clear that writing must be pursued for something other than mere publication. (Though, to be honest, I know she's just trying to let the majority of us down easy.) Writing is about letting go, growing, facing truths, and holding on.

I'm hooked on Lamott. She slaps me in the face with her startling revelations, nudges me in the ribs with her unpredictable humor, and prods my frozen little writer's hands back into action with warm compassion. This book won't solve the mechanical aspects of my writing, or lead me on the path of structural excellence, but it will spark my creativity, free my characters to be true to themselves, and, ultimately, shake me from my doldrums back into the writing mode.

In a society addicted to mindless facts and information, "Bird by Bird" reminds us--writers or otherwise--that it's all about heart. Heart and mind and soul dancing together, even if they step all over each other's feet.

Funny, inspiring, & wise--but get your craft elsewhere, June 16, 2000
If there's a better book to read when you're doubting yourselfand your writing ability, I don't know what it is. IF YOU WANT TOWRITE by Brenda Ueland may be more profound, but it's not as funny... I don't think Lamott copied Ueland at all. Both books are wonders, Ueland's more spiritual or mystical--i.e. how to express your own unique self and write your truth--and Lamott's more worldy--how to get your rear in gear and start producing copy. Lamott's chapter on crumby first drafts lets you know you must start somewhere and can't do that if you're constantly criticizng and editing yourself. And she is so right--once you have a beginning, you can make it better..and better...and better. She doesn't really tell you how to do that in very specific terms, but for that there's great sourcebooks like SELF EDITING FOR FICTON WRITERS and ON WRITING WELL, which more than cover the job. Bird by Bird may be short on craft, but it's long on motivation, humor, and practical ways to get yourself writing.

Expert writing advice with a funny and easy style., April 26, 2001
This author is a new find for me, but I will surely read much more of her. She is fabulously funny, incredibly informative, and absolutely generous with her thoughts and feelings and expertise on writing. The book warmed me, and made me feel that I could continue my writing with a stronger and better perspective. For aspiring writer's everywhere, and for writers published and not, this book will take you on a journey and offer invaluable advice for your hard work. It will help you revive that natural urge to write and keep you plugging away at the keyboard during the very worst of slumps. You will also laugh with Anne Lamott, the author, who is hilarious and honest and very witty. The practical and real life advice will stay with you as you struggle to become the writer you already are.

A lovely experience of a painful process, January 30, 2006
BIRD BY BIRD: SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON WRITING AND LIFE by Anne Lamott is a lovely, lovely, lovely book! Of course it is about writing, but it is also about any kind of longterm endeavor that is challenging, that creates self-doubt, and that is a channel for self _expression and self actualization. Lamott's Christianity and general spirituality, which is expressed in this book as a side note to her writing focus, is warm and friendly, and her personality, humorous and inclusive and confident, is wonderful for the reader to share. I LOVED the process of reading this book, of being with it.

This book has a charming and engaging introduction and then is divided into parts on Writing (which includes chapters called "Getting Started," "Short Assignments," "Perfectionism," "False Starts," "Plot Treatment," and "How Do You Know When You're Done?"), The Writing Frame of Mind (with chapters like "The Moral Point of View," "Broccoli," "Radio Station KFKD," and "Jealousy"), Help Along the Way ("Index Cards," Calling Around," "Writing Groups," and "Someone to Read Your Drafts" and "Writer's Block"), and final sections called "Publication -- and Other Reasons to Write" and "The Last Class."

While I actually think the writing lessons of this book are secondary to the wonderful life lessons this book contains, I have found myself using these lessons. I love the idea that first drafts can be BAAAAAAAAAAD with no harm to anyone! It's incredibly liberating and freeing, and allows one to write whatever one has to write with self-permission to do a bad job the first time round because you know you'll correct it later on. If you write ANYTHING this book will give you practical, helpful advice to advance and improve.

I underlined in this book, which is something that as a librarian's daughter, I almost never do, but this book feels like a reference, a guide, in a way that other works do not. I underlined things like, "Hope is a revolutionary patience" on page xxiii and "Because for some of us, books are as important as almost anything on earth" on page 15.

Lamott quotes from other wondrous writers, she writes about events in her own life that elevate her and that enervate her. But everything she writes is about taking lots of small steps in one direction. I literally laughed and cried while reading this wonderful and wondrous memoir about the process of writing and how life's pains and joys illustrate this process for Lamott ... I nearly wished I still taught freshman composition so I could use it as a text book. It is the most honest, charming, personable and true description of the painful and rewarding act of writing that I have ever read. I recommend it to anyone, writer or not, who is engaged in a longterm, or even lifelong endeavor. Anne Lamott will simultaneously soothe and inspire any reader of BIRD BY BIRD.

Funny, poignant, and powerful, September 28, 2001
I can honestly say that this is the best book on writing that I've ever read, and yes, it's also the only book on writing that I've ever read. But what a way to start. I've avoided the genre because I've wanted to figure things out on my own, but this book is more like a conversation with a writer than a tome on how to write. She's talks about how she started, what keeps her motivated, what she does when she gets stuck, and how she deals with various writer anxieties (re: publication, rejection, validation).

Above all, this is a very funny, laugh-out-loud book. Lamott has a quirky sense of humor and a refreshing, spot on ability to create memorable pictures. Despite writing of her own spirituality, Lamott doesn't get preachy or smug or self-righteous, and so her stories end up being truly inspiring. She talks about giving as a writer, and I found in her stories many gifts.

A couple of gems that I've tucked away:

* One-inch picture frames: big ideas can engulf you; write about a moment in time, one short scene, something that would fit into a one-inch picture frame.
* Writing is putting down one word after another (the best advice for a writer is to...write).
* You have to give your best stuff to your current project (she references Annie Dillard for this idea) and not try to save it or hoard it; sort of a 'use it or lose it' attitude.
* The myth of publication: if you weren't enough before publication, you're not going to be enough after publication.

Lots to digest, and worth rereading.

Insightful and humorous, but also annoying, September 5, 2001
As some of the other reviewers have said, the actual writing advice in this book is slight and conceptual. I also found it inspirational, to a point.

The book's failing is in assuming that the author's reason for writing--to uncover the truth in her life experience--is the only important one. Lamott dismisses other writing (presumably commercial fiction) as "making candy."

This stance is elitist and annoying (it's the same one you get from most college writing instructors). The argument goes like this: you must aspire to uncover the Truth, because that is what literature is for. Writing that doesn't do this--writing that merely entertains, for example--is less than worthy (it's just "making candy," and candy rots your teeth). Lamott at least tells you that you probably won't be good enough, and probably won't make any money even if you are--but she still insists that you pursue Truth.

I don't buy it. Humans have a fundamental need for stories of all kinds. Creating a story and telling it well enough to be published is noble enough, without burdening yourself with the fear that you're not writing "truth," or that your writing is somehow less important than any other.

Bird by Bird, December 7, 2000
Anne Lamott makes her guide to writing, Bird by Bird, personal, effective, and endearing by sharing embarrassing stories--everything from her three and a half year old son's cussing habits to her own struggles with writing to her debilitating bout of jealousy after the tremendous success of a writer friend. From her unabashed openness, the audience comes away with a good sense of Lamott's personality, and her humor makes it easier for the reader to accept her advice. Lamott does an excellent job of keeping the writing style conversational, which reinforces the book's personal quality. The writing is eloquent but simple, insightful but interesting. "Me, I'm a nice Christian girl, and while I wish I could quote something kicky and inspirational that Jesus had to say about writing, the truth is that when students ask me for the best practical advice I know, I always pick up a piece of paper and pantomime scribbling away" (37). From the first line of Bird by Bird the reader can tell that Lamott's voice is consistent; she is a caring coach, comic, and expert who offers sage and useful guidance. Her wit and wisdom capture the reader's interest; her practical counsel and experience build the reader's ability and boost his motivation.

Most Helpful Book on Writing I Know, March 3, 2000
I've been a publishing fiction writer for over twenty years and been teaching fiction writing for almost twenty. When I discovered this book ten years ago, I seized on it as a work to use in class, but it's become increasingly important in my life and work as well. When I teach, I ask my students to read it the first week of class so that they can hear the things I want to tell them in a funnier and more congenial voice than I can muster, and we refer back to it all semester long. Whenever we talk about it, I'm reminded not only of the great lessons about writing Annie has enclosed, but about the truths about the writing life we find here: the act of writing is more important than publishing, and striving to be a good person is more important than either.

A Romp Through Anne Lamott's Writers Workshop, December 15, 1999
If you've ever thought of signing up for one of those writers workshops with some successful wordcrafter but were put off by the price or the possibility of somebody asking, "What are YOU doing here?" this is your chance to do a test-run on what it might really be like.

If Anne Lamott's workshops are anything like her book "Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life," then whatever the cost - dollars or pride - it will be worth the price of admission.

Lamotte is funny - poking fun at herself as well as doing a running, withering commentary on society and human nature. No thought is too important to permit a digression which is part of her style of writing (and speaking?). On the other hand, no thought is too trivial to put on a 3X5 card for possible intrusion (not a Freudian Slip, thank you!) in something she is writing or saying. Her philosophy of life and writing seems to be: If the shoe fits, it probably isn't yours, but wear it anyway. Whoever left it for you should have been more careful where they leave their shoes.

Besides the fun, no there's nothing besides fun in life - except despair and you don't want to go there - the fun in no way takes anything away from Lamott's sound advice for writers, especially those with low self-esteem, poverty status, lack of writing skills, and nagging in-laws who wonder why you don't get a REAL job.

Her practical advice includes: getting started (sit down everyday, same time, same place, quiet your mind, and start writing until you "get to that one long paragraph that was what you had in mind when you started, only you didn't know that, couldn't know that, until you got to it"); try doing short assignments ("...writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." E. L. Doctorow); developing characters ("Just don't pretend you know more about your characters than they do, because you don't. Stay open to them. It's teatime and all the dolls are at the table. Listen. It's that simple."); and plot (Plot grows out of character. If you focus on who the people in your story are, if you sit and write about two people you know and are getting to know better day by day, something is bound to happen.").

One of my favorite chapters is "Broccoli" which begins with Mel Brooks' old routine in which a psychiatrist advises a patient, "Listen to your broccoli, and your broccoli will tell you how to eat it." Don't try to find out who that psychiatrist is - she's booked up 'til January 3000! Lamotte is affirming the shy attribute of intuition - trust it, tease it, test it, listen to it, get to know it. There is a gentle, tender, wondrous part of each of us that aches to be honored and invited to tea with our other toys, but like E.T., it has the right stuff to transform our lives and awaken the dolls.

"Bird by Bird" offers the pat on the back and kick in the pants every aspiring writer needs. Lamott does not think everybody who writes should publish . But she does believe everybody who wants to write should do it! There are characters in each of us just waiting to enter the stage of our minds and come to life. So, what are you waiting for? Get started all ready! They may not wait for ever.

Quietly inspiring, April 9, 2002
Anne Lamott has written the first openly honest book about the process of writing that I have read, and it was amazingly refreshing to have this perspective. She doesn't get all dewey-eyed about the wonder and the joy that is being a published author; in fact, she does quite the opposite. Without being overly-negative, Lamott points out the many pitfalls and false expectations so many of us aspiring authors are going to fall into. There's a bit that sums this up for me:

"But their fantasy of what it means to be published has very little to do with reality. So I tell them about my four-year-old son Sam, who goes to a little Christian preschool where he recently learned the story of Thanksgiving. A friend of his, who is also named Sam but who is twelve years old and very political, asked my Sam to tell him everything he knew about the holiday. So my Sam told him this lovely Christian-preschool version of Thanksgiving, with the pilgrims and the Native Americans and lots of lovely food and feelings. At which point Big Sam turned to me and said, somewhat bitterly, 'I guess he hasn't heard about the small-pox-infected blankets yet.' Now, maybe we weren't handing out those blankets yet; maybe we were still on our good behavior. But the point is that my students, who so want to be published, have not yet heard about the small-pox-infected blankets of getting published. So that's one of the things I tell them."

And so she does - she tells us about what torture it can be not only to try to get published, but to suffer through the writing process itself. Lamott is every bit as neurotics as the rest of us, and makes no bones about expressing her neuroses - she is as honest as we could possibly hope for. But even though she points out those booby traps that we have yet to experience, she still allows her love of writing to shine through, simultaneously encourages us all to Just Keep Writing while managing our expectations of what will come of it.

I'm intensely grateful for her voice of experience, and now I feel that I have distanced myself from a lot of the dreams of fame and glory I had about Publishing A Book - writing shouldn't be about that, it should be about writing "the truth as I see it," even if what I write is a work of complete fiction.

Lamott notes many of the mistakes new writers make, including assuming that everything which has happened to us is inherently interesting, making every character sound and feel the same, writing horrible dialogue, not letting characters determine their own destinies, and forcing a plot to do what we want it to do. She offers solid advice on how to get around these issues, and gives us examples of her writing as well as others' to guide us.

This is not a quick, light read by any standard - it's a two- or three-day investment in learning how to be a better writer. There are parts which are somewhat disheartening, but Lamott always manages to bring back a writer's enthusiasm for doing what we love - that's the whole point of the book.

Her writing style is very entertaining, no-nonsense, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny; if the reader cannot see him- or herself thinking or doing many of the same things Lamott does, I would be very surprised.

I really recommend this book to anyone who would like to become a published author, or for that matter, anyone who writes for any reason at all. Wonderful advice with a realistic edge. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Awesome Guide filled with Secrets!, November 22, 2010
I went on my honeymoon to Italy and this book was the only thing I used to guide me around Rome. Rick Steves is simply AWESOME! One example I remember was following his tip about buying the Colosseum tickets on the Colina Palatina booth, in order to skip the HUGE lines on the Colosseum! I did just that and me and my wife went laughing ALL the way from the back of a 200 person line to the entrance and into the Colosseum! AMAZING! This book is filled with MANY, MANY secrets like this and I couldn't find any situation on which Mr. Steves was wrong. If you are going to Italy, take this book with you and SAVE a TON of money! Highly Recommended!

Italy Tour Book, November 14, 2010
I haven't finished reading this book yet, but so far I'm really enjoying it. The text is easy to read and it sounds much like
Rick Steves when he's doing his TV show.

great book, November 11, 2010
I think all of Rick Steves' books are great. He gives advice on how to be a good traveler as well as gives a great assortment of places to visit. I also purchased his vocabulary/phrases book.

For a tasteless, odorless Italy, December 2, 2010
I bought the Rick Steve's Italy 2001 based on good reviews and was hoping that it would help me plan an itinerary, discover places less known by common tourists and eliminate some tourist traps. I turns out that this book did everything but that. It only covers the big touristy places with no insight. For exemple, Capri is only decribed as a famous hideaway of Roman emperors and then it tells you how to get there... but is it even worth the detour if you have X number of days??? This kind of info is easily found on the internet for free no need for Rick Steve.

I wanted to know if there's some place interesting other than Rome between Tuscany and the amalfi coast but the Lazio wasn't even covered by the book. Bologna? Abbruzzo? Puglia? Marche? Sicily? Campania other than Naples and Amalfi? not covered! If you want to know if Capri, Ischia or Procida is a better fit for you, then for Rick Steve only Capri exists in Italy.

This book is made for the typical average tourist who has never been to Italy and wants to see the "most well known" sites by fear of missing something, a guided tour for people who doesn't want to do it with a group. This book will probably be helpful for people who wants a taste of Italy but doesn't need to savour it. As far as I'm concern, Italy is more than just museums and churches, will never buy a Rick Steve's book again, it's by far the worst travel guidebook that I've ever bought. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out.His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods.In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place:Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet.The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path.Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book.Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide. ... Read more

Reviews

Stereotype-free...fair dinkum, June 7, 2000
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bill. As a proud Australian, it has been a never-ending source of irritation that Australia is forever portrayed as a land of beer-swilling "yobbos" who say "cobber" and "fair dinkum" rather a lot. For instance, 'The Simpsons' - usually such a witty, clever and insightful show - completely missed the point in their Australian episode. Finally, someone has managed to capture a bit of the character of this great country. He releases it from the shackles of the Paul Hogan stereotype.

This is a terrific read. Bryson has, mercifully, gone well and truly off the beaten track to explore many different parts of Australia - the cities, the outback, the tropics, and everything else in between. But as ever with a Bill Bryson book, more than the destination itself, the pleasure is in getting there. Laugh-out-loud moments abound, though perhaps more in the restrained way of "A Walk in the Woods", as opposed to the guffaw-fest that is "Neither Here Nor There".

You don't have to be at all familiar with Australia to appreciate and enjoy this book. I am, sadly, one of those Australians to which Bryson refers that has never seen Ayers Rock / Uluru myself. In fact, I have never been to the majority of places Bryson visits. It was a revelation for me, too.

Bryson once again recounts numerous historical and trivial anecdotes which, together with his unique view of the world, elevate this book well above the mere travel genre. This is insightful, this is informative, this is FUNNY.

Perversely, my only criticism is perhaps that he likes Australia a little too much. God knows, I'm so pleased that he does. However, he is, I believe, at his best when distressed. Dull and drab places, and stupid, mindless people bring out the devil in Bill Bryson, and have always proven to be useful comic fair. There are elements of that here - his body boarding experience, his views on Canberra, and his trials and tribulations with hotel receptionists in Darwin - but at the end of the day, opportunities to vent his sarcastic wit are somewhat limited.

Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan of the great Stephen Katz, I would also have loved to have seen him deal with the hardships of outback Australia. He would have absolutely LOATHED it.

Read this book. It is a treat.

Another Bryson winner, June 14, 2000
I am an unreserved Bryson fan. I love "Made In America" about the English language, and, as an Australian living in England for an extended time, thought he captured perfectly both the expat experience, and the endearing and irritating qualities of the Brits in "Notes from a small island" . This book is factually correct. That might sound inane, but there is nothing more irritating than reading about your own place and finding it tritely stereotypical or factually incorrect. Bill scores well on both counts.

Bill's take on the Australian Prime Minister of the day (a small, invisible and colourless entity) is a reasonably brave thing to say in a sense - an outsider commenting on a political identity invites derision, but he captures the essence of the man so well.

The other special moment for me is his discovery of cricket on the radio...when all other stations fade out to static, there is the mighty game. Somehow or other, despite writing nonsense words, he captures the rhythm and cadences of radio cricket commentary PERFECTLY. To me, cricket on the radio is as much about summer as cicadas, running under the sprinkler and crackling heat. Beautifully pulled off!

A good read, and for the first time since leaving school I actually engaged with some of the stories of explorers! A wry but never cynical tone makes for an entertaining read. I am glad he pays "homage" to that other good 'outsider's book' - "Sydney" by Jan Morris.

Bill Bryson covers much of the same terrain as the other great US travel writer, Paul Theroux, and seems to meet as many odd or intersting characters. Bill's disposition, however, makes him far more open to LIKING a place, and enormously less self-absorbed.

Recommended.

Very informative and quite funny, July 24, 2000
Bill Bryson has an excellent way with words, especially with his descriptive writing. For a travel writer, I suppose this is a must. He's also a humorist, and I laughed out loud on at least a half a dozen occasions while enjoying his adventures down under. Particularly amusing were his descriptions of a Cricket match, of a particularly bad hotel in Darwin and and of a drunken night in the Outback. He also gives a fine overall view of Austrailia, of which he covered much, but alas not nearly as much as he wanted. Though some might gripe that he spends too much time ruminating over the poisonous wildlife and looking for a cold beer, overall this is an exceptionally fun book to read. He includes many historical facts about Australia and even devotes some space to the unfortunate condition of the Aborigines. But not too much to spoil the fun. Bryson's travel writings remind me of an apolitical P.J. O'Rourke, and for that he's worth a read.

Very informative, telling you many things no ordinary travel book does, August 19, 2006
Bill Bryson is best known for writing very humorous travel books, and "In a Sunburned Country" is indeed a funny account of his travels in Australia. Those who love Bill Bryson's books for their humor won't be disappointed.

But unlike most people, I like Bill Bryson best when he's NOT trying to be funny, and my appreciation of this book is mostly due to the great amount of very interesting information presented.

Bill Bryson amazes you with loads of information about the geology, the animal life, the plants and insects, the history, the statistics, the folklore, etc., etc. The many dangers: poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, poisonous jellyfish, crocodiles, sharks, and rip currents - they're all out to get you. The inhospitable deserts, the beautiful beaches, the huge distances; Bill Bryson gives you a feeling of what it's all like.

The book goes into detail about many aspects of Australian life that are fairly unknown, including the discovery (and re-discovery) of Australia, the settlement by British prisoners, the early expeditions to explore the interior, the gold rushes, the outlaws, and the devastation caused by rabbits and other imported animals and plants. Bill Bryson talks about the many unusual animal species found only in Australia, including giant earthworms that grow up to 1 meter (and can be stretched to 4 meters) and the platypus, a cross between a reptile and a mammal. He talks about Australians and the Australian society, and the situation regarding the native people, the aboriginals.

Bill Bryson doesn't cover all of Australia from the geographical point of view, and the parts he does cover are somewhat random. But that doesn't matter because he captures the spirit of the whole country based on the parts he does visit and the general information he includes.

A very positive aspect is that Bill Bryson makes it clear that he loves Australia. The feeling is infectious, and it makes you want to pack your bags and head "down under" for a long leisurely trip so you can do your own exploring.

If I were to mention two things I was less happy about, it would be the occasional excessive attempts to be funny and the lack of contact with Australians. One of the best parts of the book is about his traveling together with an Australian couple for 3-4 days, but other than this passage Bill Bryson is mostly playing the typical tourist, with little or no contact with Australians. And despite a fairly long discussion about the aboriginal situation he does not ever get into contact with any aboriginals. Why not?

A final note regarding the unabridged audio version of the book, read by Bill Bryson himself: Most authors are poor readers, but Mr. Bryson does a very good job here, almost on a par with a professional reader. Recommended.

Rennie Petersen

PS. "In a Sunburned Country" has also been published under the title "Down Under". It is exactly the same book.

A Travel Writer for Smart People, September 19, 2001
Born and raised in Iowa, Bill Bryson spent 20 years in England before moving back to the United States to live in the perfect college town, Hanover, New Hampshire. A syndicated columnist, many of his columns about life in Hanover have been collected and published in "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," an enjoyable book, but because of the nature of its source material (syndicated columns) also a simple and highly sanitized one. At no point is the reader confronted by complex intellectual concepts or any obscenities.

"In a Sunburned Country" is a different matter. Written as an integrated book, it is a wonderful introduction to the more intellectually complex aspects of Australia, as well as the funnier ones, providing fascinating anthropological, botanical, geological, historical, political and sociological insights about our friends Down Under. Prior to reading it, I had dismissed Australia as being little more than a very dull version of America in the Fifties; Like Bryson, I now view it as the most fascinating place on earth. Similarly, I had viewed Mr. Bryson as being a male Erma Bombeck; I now view him as one of the more intelligent writers I have encountered.

The Australian Tourism Authority should consider licensing this book and either giving it away to prospective visitors or otherwise using it to promote the country. It is that good.

Mixed reviews from this reader, July 20, 2000
When Bill Bryson's newest book was published, I had been home from my 5 month semester abroad in Australia for almost as long. Still achingly missing a country I had come to love and feel at home in, I eagerly ran to the bookstore to buy Bryson's book.

Yes, the book is overall entertaining and pretty much witty; it's easy to read and a little hard to put down. But for the most part, i was disappointed. Occasionally, I would even find myself thinking, "I could have written this book and done Australia more justice!"

Australia is a spectacular, wonderful, welcoming, enchanting country. As if anyone could have any doubt about that after listening to Bryson effuse for 300 pages. Perhaps some will find the fact that he sings the Lucky Country's praises page after page grating; for me, I felt I had found someone with whom I could sympathize about missing the place!

However, for all his accolades, Bryson seems to only brush the surface of a country rich in history, landscape, and experiences waiting to be had. He spends only ONE DAY at one of Australia's most recognizable landmarks, Uluru, the giant monolith; he is too much of a sissy to even GO UNDER WATER at the Great Barrier Reef; he misses out on the beauty and home-i-ness of Adelaide (my home away from home!); he doesn't see an opera at the world famous Opera House; and he doesn't even VISIT Tasmania, a place almost too beautiful and wild to put into words.

Having lived in Australia for those 5 months, and having traveled extensively, I was looking for something to aleviate the sadness of having had to come "home" from a place I had become so attached to. I wanted something to evoke a vivid trip down memory lane. What I found did not live up to those expectations, and I suspect for those like me, the feeling will be the same. And for those of you who have yet to visit Australia, there's more out there than Bryson relays; it's better than the book.

It's a big country...*somebody* has to travel it, September 8, 2000
I have a great deal of affection for Bill Bryson's writings. I'm a long-time fan of travel essays, but I always cringe at those that take their subjects too seriously...reflecting solely on the majesty, history, culture, and tradition of a place. I want to shout at these writers: C'mon! You're looking for a clean public toilet too, just like the rest of us!

Bill Bryson isn't the only humorous travel writer, but he's one of the most effective at taking the p*ss out of travel as a holy grail. He's well informed and read on his subjects, but not afraid to say he's forgotten the name of Australia's Prime Minister (and reflect that that says a lot about the rest of the world's focus on Australia in the global stage). He's curious and willing to try new things like body surfing, but not too proud to let you know he's dead rotten at it. He'll seek out exotic wildlife, and then retreat quickly to safety if it's venomous. He loves to try out the local cuisine, but spends much of his time looking for a cold beer. In short, he's someone *I'd* like to travel with--informed, funny, and personable. He's less grumpy than usual (then again, these travels are less physical arduous than hiking the Appalachian Trail in "A Walk Through the Woods").

His anecdotes are entertaining and informative. I read this book the weekend before the airing of the PBS mega-series on Australia, and learned much more (and laughed a whole lot more too) from Bryson than from Robert Hughes. From the big cities to the Outback Bryson travels (sometimes in a good nature, sometimes in a humorous grumpiness), talking to the people we wish we'd meet on our travels, doing the things we'd like to do, and asking the questions only a man with the outspokenness of an American but the politeness of an Englishman could ask.

Which is not to say the whole book is a laugh riot. He's remarkably effective discussing the treatment of Australia's Aborigine tribes by modern culture, and the self-fulfilling prophecy of the country's educational failure in teaching the Aborigines' next generation. That's the mark of the best travel writer, in my view: he makes you laugh, he makes you think, he teaches you something, and best of all, he makes you long to visit and experience the country for yourself.

Who knew a travel book could be so fun?, September 29, 2005
Bryson combines a compelling case for a trip to Australia with a terrific sense of humor. Who else could make the driest, most remote, and deadliest country in the world a must for any traveler. I couldn't put this down.

Thanks Bill!, June 10, 2000
A new Bill Bryson book is always a treat of the highest magnitude. I preordered this book and counted down the days until its arrival. This book was as wonderful as his previous efforts, in fact, maybe even more so because it hit so close to home. As a former Sydney gal, I miss my homeland and Mr. Bryson reminded me of why. He takes the reader on a journey that most people (including most Aussies) would never go on; Australians tend to travel abroad before exploring their own country. I think anyone who reads this book will want to actually travel to this beautiful country and explore its riches. The reader will discover that there's more to Australia than Kangaroos and Foster's Beer (which no self-respecting Aussie would ever drink.) The author introduces us to the colorful locals and explains in painful, yet hilarious detail, how he gets from place to place. He has toned down the sarcasm for this book, and one almost gets the impression that he just likes the place too darn much. This book will not disappoint fans of his previous books. Thank you, Mr. Bryson, for writing a humorous, yet flattering book about the most under-appreciated country on the planet!

Another Bryson success, September 2, 2000
Bill Bryson, a travel-writer with a difference, in a league of his own. Bill Bryson could be you or me; an endearingly incompetent traveler who often gets lost, brings the wrong map, whose nerve sometimes fails when faced with steely service staff, who is not a great conversationalist (unless drunk), who likes good food and drink, and who, when hiring a car and bravely setting forth to some distant destination, more often than not spends half a day extricating himself from the suburbs.

I'm British and have read all Bryson's books, except "A Walk in the Woods". In this book, his 6th travel book, he visits Australia, which he imagines as a sort of cross between Britain and the US, "Baywatch with cricket"; however, the reality turns out to be much more fascinating and complex than that.

Bill Bryson is an honest man who gives his spontaneous, personal responses to what he encounters - Ayers Rock (now called Uluru) evokes from him a genuine awe, whereas some of the souvenir shops he sees are full of "overpriced shit".

A knowledgeable man (Bryson was a journalist in the UK for 10 years, and has written 2 books on the English language) who clearly does his homework both before and after his trips, as attested by frequent references to writers on Australia, the wealth of background information, and the 3 pages of bibliography. He comes prepared, and knows what to look for, and plans his route accordingly. However, he is interested in the wacky and weird as well as the conventional cultural icons, and is often ready with an interesting anecdote about the people involved. The opening page of this book contains "the startling fact that in 1967 the Prime Minister, Harold Holt, was strolling along a beach in Victoria when he plunged into the surf and vanished." A little further on he tells of Sir Eugene Goossens, head of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, whose goading led to the Sydney Opera House being built, but who failed to see his dream realized: "In 1956�che was found to be carrying a large and diversified collection of pornographic material, and he was invited to take his sordid continental habits elsewhere. Thus�che was unable to enjoy, as it were, his own finest erection." And then there is the Big Lobster - not a biological specimen, but made of wire and fiberglass, one of about 60 dotted around the country, which you can visit if, as Bryson puts it, "you have sufficient petrol money and nothing approaching a real life."

Bryson visits the main cities and famous spots, including the Great Barrier Reef (complete with a hilarious description of Bryson trying to skin-dive, and a more somber account of 2 young Americans stranded on the Reef and never seen again), the Gold Coast, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Alice Springs, and various deserts (often with a gruesome anecdote or two). There are also not so famous spots, such as Shark Bay with its prehistoric stromatolites, Tree Top Walk, Daly Waters with its famous tree, the aviation museum in Alice Springs with the wreck of a famous airplane, Red Bluff Beach where 2 Dutchmen were abandoned, nearly 150 years before Captain Cook, and so on, each with its own background story or anecdote, usually humorous or at least enlightening.

In the background to the travel is Bryson's potted history of Australia, including Captain Cook, "transportation" era, the gold rush, various expeditions to explore the country (still incomplete), the Aborigines, the rabbit invasion and myxamatosis, the "White Australia" policy, the republican issue, and horrific stories of crocodile attacks. This is what history and geography in school should be like! Full of humour, and human interest, as well as information.

This book told me a lot of things I didn't know, not only about Australia but also terrestrial evolution; it made me want to visit the place again, and, as Bryson's travel books always do, it sometimes made me laugh till I cried, tho, as others have noted, it is not trying so hard to be funny as his previous books.

(I read the UK version of this book, entitled "Down Under"). ... Read more

Editorial Review

You know the authors’ names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. And now The Elements of Style–the most widely read and employed English style manual–is available in a specially bound 50th Anniversary Edition that offers the title's vast audience an opportunity to own a more durable and elegantly bound edition of this time-tested classic.

Offering the same content as the Fourth Edition, revised in 1999, the new casebound 50th Anniversary Edition includes a brief overview of the book's illustrious history. Used extensively by individual writers as well as high school and college students of writing, it has conveyed the principles of English style to millions of readers. This new deluxe edition makes the perfect gift for writers of any age and ability level.

Fifty Years of Acclaim for The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

“I first read Elements of Style during the summer before I went off to Exeter, and I still direct my students at Harvard to their definition about the difference between 'that' and 'which.'  It is the Bible for good, clear writing.”

                        -- Henry Louis Gates Jr.

“For writers of all kinds and sizes the world begins and ends with Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. Only something to actually write about trumps the list of what is required to put words together in some kind of coherent way. I treasure its presence in my life and salute its fifty years of glory and accomplishment.”

                        -- Jim Lehrer

“The Elements of Style remains an unwavering beacon of light in these grammatically troubled times.  I would be lost without it.”

                        -- Ann Patchett

"To the extent I know how to write clearly at all, I probably taught myself while I was teaching others -- seventh graders, in Flint, Michigan, in 1967.  I taught them with a copy of Strunk & White lying in full view on my desk, sort of in the way the Gideons leave Bibles in cheap hotel rooms, as a way of saying to the hapless inhabitant: ‘In case your reckless ways should strand you here, there's help.’  S&W doesn't really teach you how to write, it just tantalizingly reminds you that there's an orderly way to go about it, that clarity's ever your ideal, but -- really -- it's all going to be up to you."

                        -- Richard Ford

“The Elements of Style never seems to go out of date. Its counsel is sound and funny, wise and unpretentious. And while its precepts are a foundation of direct communication, Strunk and White do not insist on a way of writing beyond clear expression. The rest is up to the imagination, the intelligence within.”

                        -- David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker

 “It’s the toughness–the irreverence and implicit laughter–that attracted me to the little book when I was seventeen. I fell in love with Strunk & White’s loathing for cant and bloviation, the ruthless cutting of crap, jargon, and extra words. For me, that skeptical directness included a tacit permission by The Elements of Style to break its rules on occasion: an alloy of generosity in the blade, a grace I still admire and still learn from.”

                        -- Robert Pinsky

“In the quest for clarity, one can have no better guides than Strunk and White. For me, their book has been invaluable and remains essential.”

                        -- Dan Rather

"Eschew surplusage! A perfect book."

                        --Jonathan Lethem

"Not until I started teaching writing and I reread The Elements of Style did I realize that

most everything I would be teaching young writers, and everything I would be learning myself as a writer, was contained between the covers of this slim, elegant, wise little book."

                        -- Julia Alvarez

 “Strunk and White seared their way into my brain long ago, and I benefit from them daily.”

                        -- Steven J. Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics

“Since high school, I have kept a copy of this book handy. That should be unnecessary. I should, by now, have fully internalized The Elements of Style. But sometimes I get entangled in a paragraph that refuses to be ‘clear, brief, bold.’ I dip back into The Elements of Style and am refreshed.

     After Scott Simon interviewed me on NPR about whether the word ‘e-mail’ needs a hyphen (yes, it does), some listeners, including friends of mine, wondered why I had answered in the affirmative when asked, in passing, ‘Are you a drunken white man?’ Those listeners misheard. ‘Strunk and White man’ was what Scott said.”

                        -- Roy Blount Jr.

“Strunk & White--writing's good-natured law firm--still contains enough sparkling good sense to clean up the whole bloviating blogosphere."

                  -- Thomas Mallon

 “I used Strunk -- that’s what we called it, Strunk -- as a student at Berkeley fifty years ago.  I didn't know that it was new, and that we were the first generation to be educated in The Elements of Style.  I got a firm foundation in the English language, learned to write basically, and could depict the realistic world.  Then I was able to become an impressionist and expressionist.” 

                  -- Maxine Hong Kingston

 “Strunk and White's gigantic little book must be the most readable advice on writing ever written.  Side by side with Roget, Shakespeare, the Bible, and a dictionary, it's an essential for every writer's shelf.”

                        -- X.J. Kennedy... ... Read more

Reviews

A beautiful edition, April 2, 2009
I picked this up sometime in December, after having read the original edition online for free. I know it has been getting a lot of bad reviews citing greed and whatnot, so I thought I'd add my thoughts on this newest edition of the most useful primer on the craft of writing.

In my opinion, the biggest draw of this new edition is the cover. It's black and professional looking; The perfect compliment for your shelf of writing books. I would recommend this edition to anyone willing to spend a little extra for a copy that isn't likely to fall apart after a few dozen reads. Long after you feel you've mastered all there is, you will still find yourself dipping into this now and again as a refresher. The advice is timeless and this high-quality edition does it justice.

If you're a student or don't care about a nicely bound hardcover, you could do just fine getting the ~$10 softcover edition.

A criticism of the edition, not the book, July 6, 2010
First of all, I want to make it clear that I love this book. I borrowed it from a friend a few years ago, which is why I thought it was high time I got my own copy. Unfortunately, once I did, I found that the actual quality of the printing of this edition is horrible. The paper feels cheap and the text looks as if it were poorly photocopied. You would definitely not expect this from an edition billed as "more durable and elegantly bound edition". The only good thing I could say about this edition is that the cover is indeed beautiful, which is a good thing if all you want is something that looks nice on a bookshelf.

I recommend the 4th edition instead.

Down to earth and helpful, April 15, 2009
It's concise.
It's humorous.
It's straightforward.
It's well balanced and reasonably biased.
It's articulate and persuading.
It's just handy if you'd like to write in English.
All in all, it's a must buy.

A defense of Strunk and White, May 28, 2010
The Elements of Style is to contemporary writing what Aristotle's Poetics is to Western literature: it's so succinct that you don't realize at first just how much it has to tell you. It's easy to laugh when reading the table of contents; the thought of anyone summing up usage, composition, and style in so few chapters can seem like a joke. But once you read enough other books about writing--as I did this past year in university courses on linguistics, writing, and grammar--you realize that no other book gives such a wide range of advice with such depth. Best of all, perhaps, is Strunk and White's own style: simple, direct, and funny prose makes this book a gem (a favorite jab from the section about avoiding "a breezy manner" in one's writing: "'Spontaneous me,' sang Whitman, and, in his innocence, let loose the horde of uninspired scribblers who would one day confuse spontaneity with genius.").

Then again, you probably don't need me to point out this book's greatness; over fifty years of popularity and the acclaim of writers much more accomplished than I am probably speak for themselves. But let me address some common complaints I've heard about the book:

(1) "It's dated." Those who make this complaint probably see the word "style" in the title and, before reading a word between the covers, assume that the book is a bossy manifesto on the English language's ever-changing styles. Strunk and White are writing not about the popular literary styles of their time--nor, for that matter, the times at which the book's other editions were published (note the reference to Toni Morrison's Beloved in one of the chapters)--but on the specific elements of nonfiction prose that have been relatively stable over the past couple of centuries.
(2) "Its advice is antiquated and overly prescriptive." Actually, not at all. The book encourages splitting infinitives, using the passive voice, and ending sentences with prepositions when doing otherwise would make a sentence sound "stiff" or "needlessly formal"; by comparison, many writing teachers I've had would mark down any paper I wrote that committed one of these so-called "sins" of style. Those who make this complaint about the book probably only read the table of contents and interpret its list of tips as parochial imperatives. Really, imagine if there were a chapter titled: "Usually avoid the passive voice, but sometimes don't." (The section on "Words and Expressions Commonly Misused," to be fair, does have some stodgy directives. Why is the word "contact" "vague and self-important"? Why can't the word "enormity" be "used to express bigness," as the usage section of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary suggests with unusual persuasiveness that it can? Then again, the book's explanation of the word "hopefully" is the most sane I've read.)
(3) "Strunk and White break their own rules in other parts of the book." See (2). Style is not a rigid set of rules that can never be broken; if Strunk and White occasionally deviate from these "rules," there is probably a reason behind their stylistic choice.
(4) "The book says nothing about sexist language." Well, actually, it does: see the section on "They. He or she." in "Words and Expressions Commonly Misused." But keep in mind that this is not The Elements of Political Correctness; writing an insensitive or prejudiced sentence suggests more of a moral deficit than an ignorance of good style. Then again, a peer in a writing class I took in college argued that the universal "he" (i.e., supplying male pronouns when the gender of the subject in question is uncertain, as in: "A writer should practice his craft every day.") is stylistically "more elegant" than most gender-neutral turns of phrase (e.g., "he or she," the plural "they," etc.). Of course it's true that a sentence like "A writer should practice his or her craft every day" sounds clunky, but there are almost innumerable ways to rewrite such a sentence with neither clutter nor discrimination; once you accomplish the apparently difficult feat of figuring out why sexist language offends people, The Elements of Style will show you how.
(5) "The book is hardly the 'writer's bible' that it's touted to be." What book is? If you're looking for more depth, the book you need is probably a linguistics or philosophy textbook; if you're looking for greater breadth, you probably need a dictionary. Other style guides will obviously touch on points that Strunk and White do not, but usually these other guides will address stylistic errors that are much less common than those found in The Elements of Style. As for where Strunk and White's advice overlaps with that of other style guides, few other guides explain things with such precision and force.

Those who need other justifications of this book's merits should also read William Strunk's introduction to the first edition, now reprinted in this edition. Once you do, buy this book, read it, and savor it. Keep it on the shelf closest to wherever you do your writing. Then sit down and start writing.

Business Owner, June 7, 2009
I have been using the Elements of Style for almost 50 years and have recommended it to many, including my five children. This past Christmas I puchased copies to use as gifts. It continues to be a most useful tool in my writing.

Wonderful Little Book, December 12, 2009
Can't go wrong with Strunk & White. This book won't teach you how to write, but it is very helpful for remembering the little things that we always seem to forget. For example, when to use who or whom? And it's so well written, it is almost worth reading for its own sake.

Has an immediate and everlasting effect on your writing., January 21, 2009
If you're writing without first consulting Strunk and Whites, Elements of Style, STOP! This book should be standard issue for anyone writing anything. By it, refer to it often, and watch your writing skills improve. Bon Appetite!

A necessity, March 11, 2010
Every person needs this book regardless if you are a writer or not. It's a great guide on proper grammar. In fact this book should be given to everyone starting in elementary school.

elements of style, February 8, 2010
Perfect. Fabulous. A classic. A necessary tool for anyone who reads, writes or gives a damn about style.

Nice edition of a classic book, November 30, 2009
Nicely produced edition of a classic book. Looks great on the desk and more durable than in the past. Good price too. ... Read more

Editorial Review

On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet. Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. With more than a million copies sole, this volume has stood the test of time and remains a valuable resource for writers and would-be writers.

Editorial Review

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page.It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.

Now this cult classic of gonzo journalism is a major motion picture from Universal, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.Opens everywhere on May 22, 1998. ... Read more

Reviews

And you thought YOUR trip to Vegas was rough and wild!
Written in 1971, `Fear and Loathing' still has a powerful impact on the mind even today. If you are easily offended by gratuitous drug usage and the craziness resulting from it, then put the book down and back away slowly. For those who may have perhaps saw the movie with Johnny Depp and did not know what to think of it, I highly recommend reading the book and then watching the movie again, its subtleties come out from the background provided in the book, and you will truly appreciate the performances afterwards.

`Fear' is absolutely hilarious, following the ramblings of a journalist and his attorney into Las Vegas in the early years. Through clouds of mescaline, acid, ether, amyl, tequila, rum, and pot, we see Las Vegas through the demented eyes of a person totally over the edge and bordering on drug induced psychosis.

The bar scene in Circus-Circus is worth the price of the book alone, and all of the vapid trippings of our dynamic duo are practically frightening in their intensity. Thompson has captured the mind of the delusional manic in `Fear', and while it is a journey not recommended for real life, in its book form it is highly entertaining and brutally funny.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas may be dated in its use of drugs and money, and the picture painted of a Las Vegas strip long gone to the commercialism of today's Vegas, but the amusing underlying story of human nature of the edge of reason is timeless. Definitely a worthwhile muse to entertain yourself with. Enjoy!

More truer now than it was originally!
I personally live just outside of Las Vegas, and just about everything the good doctor wrote about is still true (especially Circus Circus). I can only imagine what he'd think of the quasi-Disneyland attractions that are there now.

The drug content was to be expected at that era. The world was still in a white picket fence mode and "creative chemistry" was seen as a tool to escape from it (or at least, take a different view).

The stream-of-consciousness writing style is a wonder to behold. You can practically feel your mind bob-sledding through the ether-induced haze, coming to a landing on both feet.

As for weither or not it was real, get over it. Just wallow in the genius of the work; how it dissects the "American Dream" and how we were so rudely woken from it.

And if you've seen the film, READ THE FREAKIN' BOOK AS WELL! You will discover a favorite quote or two that you'll find yourself using over and over again. I laughed so hard reading it the first time, my face hurt!

It's a classic document of the tail end of the "flower power" generation, and the beginning of the narcisism of the 1970's. Classic American literature with sheer outright BALLS that's so dearly lacking in today's pop culture.

I am certain that when Dr. Thompson reaches his final reward, he will have a never-ending orgy held in his honor, just for writing this book.

"only for those with true grit-and we are chock full of it"
I have read and re-read my copy of this book so many times the pages are all dog eared and the spine is on the verge of coming apart. In short this book is an absolute masterpiece. I don't think that there is any other book that will completely hold you in it's grip from the first to the last line in the way that this book will.

This book and it's author have became cultural icons ever since it went to print in the early seventies. Plenty of other reviewers have gone into great detail about many of the notable qualities of this book: the hilarious dark humor of the two's drug induced antics and the razor sharp wit it is written with, the clarity in descriptions of the drug state, the spot on observations of the 'American way of life' as well as the counterculture of the '60s, the brutal honesty in which the author deals with negative and reckless acts commited by him and especially his attorny (which some find disturbing) and of course the shear genius in every page of this by all means flawless novel.

After reading this book too many times to keep count, although I still find it totally laugh out loud funny, I generally must say that Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas is ultimately a sad novel. Sure it's a road trip to cover a story in Las Vegas on hallucinogens, but I feel that overall it is the cronicle of a 'failed seeker'. I mean the search for the American Dream is unsuccessfull and you get the feeling from this book that it will always be an unfruitfull search as the American dream doesn't exist. The passages on how the energy of the '60s dissappeared are particularly moving in this way.

I cannot recomend reading this book enough, it is funny, witty, paranoid, dreamy yet crystal clear and written impecably well.

"Buy the ticket, take the ride"

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" by Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter Thompson practiced total immersion journalism. This form of reporting is called gonzo journalism.

Hunter Thompson drove to Las Vegas to report on a motorcycle race and ended up writing a story about himself writing a story about a motorcycle race. If he would have written a conventional report on motorcycle racing it would have been interesting to motorcycle enthusiasts for a few days. Since he wrote a gonzo story he had a very wide canvas and he used it well to create a classic.

The reader might be turned off by the obstreperous behavior, extreme self indulgence and offensive inconsiderate language. If you can look past this offensive conduct and you will see that Hunter Thompson gave us an insight into the American character of the 1970's.

See also: Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)

I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" by Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter Thompson practiced total immersion journalism. This form of reporting is called gonzo journalism.

Hunter Thompson drove to Las Vegas to report on a motorcycle race and ended up writing a story about himself writing a story about a motorcycle race. If he would have written a conventional report on motorcycle racing it would have been interesting to motorcycle enthusiasts for a few days. Since he wrote a gonzo story he had a very wide canvas and he used it well to create a classic.

The reader might be turned off by the obstreperous behavior, extreme self indulgence and offensive inconsiderate language. If you can look past this offensive conduct and you will see that Hunter Thompson gave us an insight into the American character of the 1970's.

See also: Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)

I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
This novel is a classic of American Literature in the same right as Moby Dick, The Scarlet Letter, The Catcher in the Rye, and countless others. True, it's not appreciated by everyone (as can be seen in the reviews below) but neither was and is Moby Dick. This is definitely a baroque classic too, and it was groundbreaking in its own time (which it may not be anymore, logically, but that's not all the book is about, far from that).

As some have said before me, it's indeed a great window open on an era now dead: the sad end of all the dreams of the 60's; and that is important to our own time because I am not sure we ever recovered from all those dead dreams. Even in my generation, I know a lot of people who still look back with major nostalgia even though they didn't even exist exist in the 60's. That was a very significant moment in time during the 20th century and it certainly set the setting for as far as today.

Some say there is no real plot to this book; much the same can be and was said about Moby Dick. I won't deny that, but I will point out that not all books are about "plots" and that there is ALWAYS a plot, no matter how minimal or nonsensical it gets. A trip to nowhere without any clear direction in search of the American Dream, what do you expect? A clear plot with obvious twists and the likes? Of course not.

That book is fun, disturbing, daring, and much deeper and serious than it may appear to the shallow reader. Definitely worth it, and definitely classic. Wandering around the still smoking embers of the Fallen Dream with Hunter S. Thompson is an experience you don't want to miss.

The Best American Comedy of the 20th Century?
This hilarious satire is fast paced, very entertaining even after multiple readings, and a hysterically funny yet scathing portrayal of American society and the city of Las Vegas in the early 1970s.

Thomson admired the previous generation of American writers such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald and the polished craft of his writing style reflects this. In 200 pages there isn't a single bad sentence, or a miscued punchline. Vast amounts of hard (sober) work (and talent) must have gone into perfecting a deceptively conversational, light style.

For "serious" readers, this book can also be read as a coda to the late 1960s social revolution. By the early 1970s, its apparent to Thompson that the dream is dead, a pre-Watergate Richard Nixon is in the White House, and the silent majority are satisfied and complacent.

My title for this review is quite deliberate - this is the best American comedy of the 20th Century, and it will be read and enjoyed 100 years hence.

Hunter S. Thompson is more than just a junkie
A million times from a million Hunter S. Thompson fans I have heard nothing but 'wow that guy took more drugs than I ever seen 'afore.' And that is the extent of their study into this book. We look at writers from the 60's and we say: 'hey they were good writers.' When we think of William Burroughs, or Kerouac, or Ginsberg we think of their skills, they have been adopted into the pantheon of American hippie/writers and they are the greats in the field, but Thompson, sadly may not be remembered in this way. We have to first remember that Thompson wasn't a novelist by trade. He's a journalist. In between the lines containing the words 'lsd' and 'mescalin' there is a very deep and yes, subtle meaning hidden in this book. Through the drug frenzied nightmare that is his story is a sad and sentimental testament to the troubles that plague this country. On drugs, in the '70's but wasn't that prerequisite for being a writer in the 70's? Thompson has the macho tendency to play dumb, all the while keeping genius hidden from the people on the streets. You know, like how you catch Sistah Soldjah writing books, or Tupac poetry. This book is a festive celebration of memories, like all people have on introspective nghts, full of drudgery and melancholy, but only on the epidermis. Inside this book if you look really hard you will find that 1970's Las Vegas, on drugs, committing pedophilia, vandalism, fraud and a variety of other felonies, is a microcosm of the American Dream, and the sociological repurcussions of that dream. As well as a prophetic and all-to-accurate vision of things to come. Which from a man as obsessed with the prospect of Apocalypse as Thompson is quite a scary thing indeed.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" by Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter Thompson practiced total immersion journalism. This form of reporting is called gonzo journalism.

Hunter Thompson drove to Las Vegas to report on a motorcycle race and ended up writing a story about himself writing a story about a motorcycle race. If he would have written a conventional report on motorcycle racing it would have been interesting to motorcycle enthusiasts for a few days. Since he wrote a gonzo story he had a very wide canvas and he used it well to create a classic.

The reader might be turned off by the obstreperous behavior, extreme self indulgence and offensive inconsiderate language. If you can look past this offensive conduct and you will see that Hunter Thompson gave us an insight into the American character of the 1970's.

See also: Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)

I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.


... Read more

Editorial Review

You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. A new Foreword by Roger Angell reminds readers that the advice of Strunk & White is as valuable today as when it was first offered.This book's unique tone, wit and charm have conveyed the principles of English style to millions of readers. Use the fourth edition of "the little book" to make a big impact with writing. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

7th Edition of Turabian Is a Great Improvement, May 11, 2007
The 7th edition of Kate L. Turabian's A Manual for Writers features significant new material, a more user-friendly arrangement, much-needed rules for online resources, and an eye-friendly, two-tone typeset format.

Editors Booth, Colomb, and Williams have adapted material from their The Craft of Research and inserted it as Part I of the 7th edition. Researchers now get both a style guide and a research guide in one book.

The three-part format for the 7th edition also makes it easier to navigate. Part I is the new research guide; Part II is the rules for source citation; Part III is the style guide. In the 6th edition, the first chapter was a guide to the parts of a research paper which then had to be compared to the formats and sample layouts in the last chapter. The new edition combines all this material together in Appendix A along with instructions that are updated to reflect common word processor settings. And the index at the back of the volume now references items by page number rather than chapter and section, a great improvement in my opinion.

The 7th edition brings Turabian up-to-date by including rules and examples for citing online sources. Part II also separates the instructions for notes/bibliography style from the instructions for parenthetical/reference list style. What had been a completely separate chapter for citing public documents is now helpfully included with the rest of the citation rules. Part II of edition 7 now includes over 100 pages of citation examples compared to the 26 pages in chapter 11 of the 6th edition.

One weakness that is not corrected in the new edition is that Turabian's official stance for encyclopedias and other reference works is still that they should only be cited in notes. (17.5.3, p.191) Nothing acknowledges the difficulties of citing scholarly encyclopedia or dictionary references where signed articles are the norm. One can, however, adapt the instructions for edited collections on p.179 to sufficiently cite academic reference works.

Finally, the blue-and-black typesetting makes it much easier to distinguish in-text examples and to move one's eye from section to section.

It is fitting that the 7th edition has been published on the 20th anniversary of Kate Turabian's death. The many improvements in this edition will ensure its place on student bookshelves for years to come.

Nerds of the world, rejoice!, May 29, 2007
I have owned the Sixth Edition of Turabian for about five years and it has been used to the point of disintegration. I was excited about the new edition and when I received it I was elated to find that the Chicago Style Manual was included with the writer's manual. The editors have updated the manual to include citation of electronic sources which, if you have been doing any academic writing recently, has been a matter of preference. The two-color priniting makes section headings easier to find as you are leafing through the pages. The editors have included a bibliography divided into various disciplines that provides some suggestions for further research. Overall, I am enjoying using the new manual. The biggest downside is that I am having to relearn the section headings that I have grown familiar with over the past five years. Small price to pay for the added advantage of having the Chicago Style Manual at my fingertips.

Nerds, do yourselves a favor and update your Turabian manual. You won't be sorry.

A Much Needed Improvement over the Sixth Edition, November 11, 2007
Students and Scholars have struggled with the Sixth edition of Kate Turabian's_Manual for Writers of Term Papers. . ._ for many years. It was out of date within a couple of years of publication and the new A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Seventh Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)brings much needed help in many areas. For example, while the Sixth edition only began to pay attention to online resources which were just coming into play in a serious way, this new edition gives every type of electronic resource the attention it needs.

Users of the Sixth Edition will notice two things immediately about the new Seventh Edtion. For one thing, it is much thicker. The new editors have incorporated important new material, much of if taken from their own earlier work, The Craft of Research, 2nd edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing). There is much more help for struggling students on such matters are writing the first draft, revising, note taking, and even what to do with the paper after the professor returns it. In addition there are new sections on making an oral presentation of one's research and presenting a poster session. These changes make the book much more practical. Those who teach research courses will welcome possibility now to assign a single "does it all" type manual for student use.

The second major change is that much of the material on formatting the paper, as to front matter, headings and subhead, etc. has been moved to the back of the book and expanded. This is a more natural placement, and users will find the expanded discussions helpful.

Those who have struggled with the quirks of various word processors will welcome some of the changes and improvements. For one thing, one no longer needs to leave a space between dot leaders on the Table of Contents page. This edition gives guidance on doing some of the things that computers have made possible, such as inserting tables, graphs and images into a paper. There is even a sample of a title page for a term paper (the sixth edition had only a sample of a title page for a dissertation--and Turabian's guide is used far more often to produce term papers than to produce disserations). Much expanded tables of lists of proper abbreviations is included. Those who cite books of the Bible now have a list of abbreviations in the manual. They no longer need to go to another source for these.

Users of the manual will find specific help on such matters as citing CD-ROM sources, and online journal articles. This is welcome because the types of electronic sources has multiplied greatly in the years since the publication of the sixth edition.

The manual is not perfect however. There are some ambiguities. (There are always ambiguities, in every edition of Turabian's manual. The glory of this one lies in the fact that it clears up so many of the previous ambiguities; the shame is that it creates a few new ones.) For one thing, the old Turabian said that one should triple space above a subheading and simply doublespace below it. The current edition says to "leave an extra space above and below a subhead" (17.1). What does this mean? Triple space both? Single space the paper but double space above and below subheads? It isn't clear. Also, whereas every previous edition made it clear that papers should be written using a 12 point font, the current edition allows for a 10 or 12 point font. Where the previous editions allowed only Times New Roman or Courier New, the new edition allows for any text font "such as Times New Roman or Palatino." This recognizes the fact of today's computers being loaded with numerous fonts, but professors prefer a little more uniformity in students' papers.

Finally, for some unknown reason, all the examples are in medium blue ink in a somewhat unusual font. The parentheses all look somewhat like brackets, which has already begun to confuse some students. One could wish that a more usual font such as Times New Roman had been chosen for the examples.

These problems are minor, given the overall improvement over every previous edition. The new Seventh edition of Turabian's Manual will quickly become very popular with graduate students and researchers alike and will be useful for years to come, perhaps for longer than the sixth edition.

Dr Frankenstein's Top Pick, September 9, 2008
This new edition of the venerable Turabian manual is no more than a rough draft. It is perhaps a second draft, but a work in process nonetheless. The need for a deft ediorial hand to finish work is soon evident to any knowledgable reader. First, the same material on tables and figures is covered in two separate sections. This material could have been consolidated in one place. Second, essential information on references is overly wordy and convoluted, requiring five chapters to present the same material that needed just one in the previous edition. Third, there is a serious lack of focus. The promise of the first section is not fullfilled in the second. The focus shifts. Were this a thesis or a dissertation, it would not get past the student's advisor to the full committee. Were this an article submitted for publication, the editor would return it for needed revisions. Were this a patchwork body of Dr. Frankenstein's creation, it would still need an energizing spark to bring it to life.

There are two distinct sections to this text. The first is an elementary, but polished, introduction to crafting research papers by eminent and accomplished scholars. The second seeks to present "Chicago style for researchers and students," which is the subtitle of the volume. The transition between the two is not smooth. While the first section is for beginners, the second is for advanced students, presenting numerous graphics to help format a dissertation, but just a single graphic for class papers, a title page. Thus, the neophyte is given the task of inferring from the format of a dissertation how a class paper should look. This seems backwards. Shouldn't the task of translating from one format to another be given to the more advanced student? Better yet, why not present both formats? Students writing a dissertation are well beyond needing the elementary guide to doing research found in the first half of the book. The focus shifts from beginner to near-professional with no closure for the beginner and no preparation for the grad student. Could this be the patchwork creation of a mad (but competent) scientist?

An appendix is the literary equivalent of an afterthought, and that is where the page format graphics have been relegated. Apparently the editors of this venerable "manual of writers of research papers," considers the format of words, sentences, tables, figures, paragraphs, and quotations more important than their presentation on the page. Perhaps, "A Manual for Writers of Research Text" would be a more honest title. The subtitle, not the title, appears to be the ordering principle of the second half of the book--Chicago Style for for Researchers and Students. The emphasis is on the style and not the final product, the research paper. This may be a fine point to some, but both the APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association) place page formats in the body of their style manuals.

The previous edition presented the three Chicago reference formats--footnote/endnote, bibliography, and reference list--side by side in a single chapter. This proved so effective that the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style elected to do the same thing. But this edition of the Turabian manual has expanded this one chapter into five. The question is why, for whom? Shouldn't students be treated to the simpler presentation? William of Occcam is the author of a famous priciple in philosophy know as Occam's Razor. He argued that when given a choice of alternative explanations the simplest will generally prove the most reliable. About 600 years later, William Strunk, Jr., advised his students to "omit needless words," and we might add, needless chapters.

Given these observations, how would you grade a text with these problems? To me, it reads like a rough draft in need of additional work. I would not want to present a text in this condition to a dissertation committee. And by that standard, a revised edition is called for. With both the Turabian manual and Chicago manual on my bookshelf, I invariably go to the Chicago manual when I have a question. Ironically, with the previous editions of both texts it was the other way around. The new Turabian manual does manage to cover the essential features of Chicago style, and though it is a great buy at amazon prices, it is no bargain. It is a disjointed patchwork offensive to a disciplined mind. Dr. Frankenstein, would you care to hazard a second opinion?

Chip off of the old block., August 23, 2007
This edition of Turabian follows in a long line of excellent editions of the manual. It is very well put together and some improvements have been made including some much needed updating to abbreviations and some other matters. An excellent tool that is an absolutely essential addition to any busy student's library.

Finally, Turabian is digital!, April 30, 2007
Sure, the style found in the "Turabian Guide" is an adaptation of the Chicago Manual of Style. But, it is easily accessible and far easier on the average student's budget- not to mention it is widely accepted by most Universities and Colleges. So here we are again, a style guide- that now has references examples that pertain to Microsoft software- which most students use- examples for citing websites, podcasts, and all manner of modern (2007) electronic media, and in addition, it now lays out a method for writing a quality paper...so how did it work? Well, I received an "A" for my first production under the new 7th edition! Kate has extended her service as a reference and research guide to students everywhere that English is the lingua franca!

User-friendly manual for the best, most flexible reference style, April 1, 2008
I can't compare this edition to the previous ones as I've never owned the old ones but I can say this manual is very user-friendly. I bought it only seeking a comprehensive manual of style for a bibliography/referencing, which it has. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it has very useful information about how to tackle the research process as well. The manual is extremely comprehensive without being confusing. The aesthetics are great. Also, the Chicago manual style is better than APA and MLA in my opinion, and I've used them all. A good tool for budding researchers and students alike.

I wore this out in college!, November 14, 2008
We were required to buy and use Turabian's manual throughout college so I've used a few different versions but I liked this one the best because it was a lot easier to navigate. This is an essential if you are in college because it will help you successfully format any paper for any situation. It is great for history majors (I have an B.A. and M.A. in history) and for many other majors as well. This is a must have.

Easy to use!, July 2, 2008
This manual is very user-friendly. It's a must for anyone writing papers in the respected fields in which it is intended. It is worth every penny.

Kate still speaks..., April 24, 2007
Finally, Turabian has been brought into the digital age. Designed for the era of Microsoft Word and WordPerfect, the new Turabian declares revolutionary new things like consistent pagination, website citation, and Times New Roman examples! The new edition also borrows from "The Craft of Research," going beyond mere form and style to discuss the nature of writing research papers. I'm glad the blessed St. Kate speaks beyond the grave. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Widely adopted by universities, colleges, and secondary schools, the MLA Handbook gives step-by-step advice on every aspect of writing research papers, from selecting a topic to submitting the completed paper. For over half a century, the MLA Handbook is the guide millions of writers have relied on.

The seventh edition is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to research and writing in the online environment. It provides an authoritative update of MLA documentation style for use in student writing, including simplified guidelines for citing works published on the Web and new recommendations for citing several kinds of works, such as digital files and graphic narratives.

Every copy of the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook comes with a code for accessing the accompanying Web site. New to this edition, the Web site provides

- the full text of the print volume of the MLA Handbook
- over two hundred additional examples
- several research-project narratives--stories, with sample papers, that illustrate the steps successful students take in researching and writing papers
- searching of the entire site, including the full text of the MLA Handbook
- continuous access throughout the life of the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook ... Read more

Reviews

An essential book for college students, October 28, 2003
With his MLA HANDBOOK, Gibaldi has written one of the best stylebooks for college students. Accessible yet detailed enough to help students navigate tricky issues of citations and format, this book offers excellent advice for writing term papers. The electronic citation section is especially helpful since many style manuals have not been properly updated to embrace contemporary research practices.

This book should be on every college student's shelf. For those already well-versed in MLA style, consider Gibaldi's more advanced MLA STYLE MANUAL AND GUIDE TO SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING.

A necessity for writers of college research papers., January 22, 2004
Knowledge of MLA formatting is a necessity for writing college research papers these days. As an older, part-time college student, I found myself lacking the skills to properly cite information in my papers. Not having time to take an entry level English class, to learn the MLA style, I turned to the MLA Handbook for guidance.

This easy to use book has been a lifesaver! The book is well organized and provides plenty of examples. The table of contents is broken down so well, something that is not common enough in textbooks, that within minutes of picking up the book, you have a concrete example of what you need.

Each section starts with the most basic example of citing from a particular type of work and builds, step-by-step, to a complete citation. The applicable example for entry into the Works Cited Page can be found with ease as well.

If you will be writing research papers, or currently find yourself having difficulty citing, this is a tool you should strongly consider.

"Tight Lines!"
~..~..~.. ><((((*>

The MLA Handbook is indispensible for research authors., December 12, 1996
Easily the most useful book any college student could own, the MLA Handbook is full of information on how to correctly cite almost any source. It helps to please any professors who insist on 100% accurate citations. A must have for anyone who writes any number of research articles, it is definitely a sound investment. If you don't have the MLA Handbook, you're left guessing on new citation standards such as CD-ROMs, Online postings, speeches, television shows, radio addresses, etc. The book has bailed me out on a number of occasions, especially when I have been forced to go to 'unorthodox' sources for information.

Perfect for basic college papers, June 10, 2002
I am incredibly anal about formatting my papers correctly, because it represents easy points to me. As most of you know, a large portion of almost any grade on a paper is format. I have bought many handbooks and guides for the MLA format, and I can say with absolute certainty that Joseph Gibaldi's is the best. Of course everyone has their own format, and as you become more specialized in your education you will no doubt be prodded away from MLA into that of your own niche (APSA modified version of CMS for me... ~groan~), but this book will prove most valuable for the majority of your undergraduate education. It has basic tips for research and the mechanics of writing; which, unless you slept through all of your high school English classes (or, as in the case of myself, have an emnity with commas), you'll probably know already. Where this book is indespensible is in its exhaustive documentation listings. To date, I have never found a source which this book doesn't list. I thought I had it stumped this morning when I needed to know how to cite an online congressional record of a speech, but to my surprise it was there, prompting me to write this review! This book has been a lifesaver many times; every college student needs it. Sit down, follow the instructions in the book (well first make sure your instructor wants your paper in MLA format!), and I promise you that you will receive full marks for the format portion of your grade! My only quibble is that it says you don't need a title page, yet I have never had a professor that didn't require one. However, that is an issue for the people who sit around and think up the MLA rules, not with the book. I do believe this has been the most useful book of my college education!

Required & Almost Complete, October 4, 2004
The MLA is the standard for most literary papers. The book itself is well-formatted and easy to read. It is fairly easy to find what you need except when it is not in the book.

Because of the lapse in time from writing to publication, style requirements change as new forms of information become available. One type of citation I needed was not in the book and I finally had to search for the MLA website. That is the reason I do not give this book 5 stars, they do not list their own website for up-to-date style references. By using the website with the handbook, I find answers to most of my style questions.

For reference, the website is www.mla.org/ Enjoy!

Acceptable Guide for Writing Acceptable Research Papers, December 16, 2003
The best parts of this edition of the MLA guide are those that enforce the mechanics of strong writing, though if you're the creative type with unconventional ideas, there is no need to be constrained by these guidelines. Another good section concerns plagiarism, especially the tips on how to avoid both malicious and accidental plagiarism. The guidelines on how to conduct research are better presented elsewhere, while the chapter on how to format a paper is not entirely useful unless you have an assignment that demands that particular type of formatting. Otherwise you will often be free to use a format and construction style of your own choosing. Of course the meat of this guide is the sections on citations and bibliographies, which quite clearly explain the punctuation and mechanics of just about every type of citation imaginable (including new-fangled Internet sources). The only problem is that these sections are difficult to search because of a fuzzy index that sends you to annoyingly demarcated section numbers rather than page numbers. [~doomsdayer520~]

A definite reference for College students., January 28, 2004
I use this book almost in daily basis. As a graduate student - I write several journal articles and research papers weekly. This book is my primary reference book when I edit the final draft copy. If you are in college - I suggest you should invest the money and get this book - you will need this book many times for proper referencing, quotation, and correct punctuation style.

MLA Handbook: The Savior of College Students, March 6, 2006
The MLA Handbook is the most useful writing instruction manual available. The handbook's straight-forward English and clear-cut presentation of its contents, will make writing research papers, formal letters and yes, citations, a smooth and swift task. College freshmen and sophomores will be sharpened and formed into skilled and knowledgeable writers. And their anxieties will be consumed by a confidence that no longer fears those dreadful words "research paper." But this does not mean that you should sell it back after you meet your requisites! The MLA handbook is a not something you discard like those odious textbooks that are reprinted and updated every semester. It is a trustworthy handbook there for your literary refinement, always. The MLA handbook should be issued to all incoming students at orientation.

A Must-Have for Writers, December 2, 2000
Comprehensively indexed and meticulously cross-referenced, the MLA Handbook seems to have format and style guidelines for each and every situation you may need help with. Many times when I have been stumped on some strange, complicated, and obscure format or style issue that could cost me points, I have been pleasantly surprised because MLA had anticipated just such a situation and explained a way out. Because the Modern Language Association is nationally recognized (USA) as the definitive authority on writing style, format, mechanics, and source citation, few instructors will be presumptuous enough to take exception to it. By using this handbook, you are safeguarding your grade.

THE SOURCE OF ALL WRITING MANNER, May 25, 2002
I recently had to write a 10 page research paper for a Greek history course I was taking. One of the required books to use when writing this new style of paper was the MLA handbook.

At first glance I thought that this book would be a rough overview of things I already knew since that is what most books of this are. However, the MLA is much different, I am convinced, after 7 months of use, that this is THE PERFECT format book ever.

If you are trying to write a well written and comprehensive paper, this book is a must. If you are trying to pull up your grade with perfect formatting and source citing, this book is a must. If you want a good grade period, this book is a must.

Do not brush this book away, buy it, keep it, and cherish the tons and tons of information it gives in a very readable manner. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A celebrated writer’s irresistible, candid, and eloquent account of her pursuit of worldly pleasure, spiritual devotion, and what she really wanted out of life

Around the time Elizabeth Gilbert turned thirty, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. She had everything an educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want—a husband, a house, a successful career. But instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed with panic, grief, and confusion. She went through a divorce, a crushing depression, another failed love, and the eradication of everything she ever thought she was supposed to be.

To recover from all this, Gilbert took a radical step. In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she really was and what she really wanted, she got rid of her belongings, quit her job, and undertook a yearlong journey around the world—all alone. Eat, Pray, Love is the absorbing chronicle of that year. Her aim was to visit three places where she could examine one aspect of her own nature set against the backdrop of a culture that has traditionally done that one thing very well. In Rome, she studied the art of pleasure, learning to speak Italian and gaining the twenty-three happiest pounds of her life. India was for the art of devotion, and with the help of a native guru and a surprisingly wise cowboy from Texas, she embarked on four uninterrupted months of spiritual exploration. In Bali, she studied the art of balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. She became the pupil of an elderly medicine man and also fell in love the best way—unexpectedly.

An intensely articulate and moving memoir of self-discovery, Eat, Pray, Love is about what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own contentment and stop trying to live in imitation of society’s ideals. It is certain to touch anyone who has ever woken up to the unrelenting need for change. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The book that demystifies academic writing, teaching students to frame their arguments in the larger context of what else has been said about their topic–and providing templates to help them make the key rhetorical moves.The best-selling new composition book published in this century, in use at more than 1,000 schools, They Say / I Say has essentially defined academic writing, identifying its key rhetorical moves, the most important of which is to summarize what others have said (“they say”) to set up one’s own argument (“I say”).The book also provides templates to help students make these key moves in their own writing.

The Second Edition includes a new chapter on reading that shows students how to read for the larger conversation and two new chapters on the moves that matter in the sciences and social sciences. line drawings ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Rick Steves, December 9, 2010
This book provides a lot of inside information and hints on how to most enjoy time in Paris. There are hints on tipping, how to arrange transportation, how to locate a rest room...and generally great information on how to see and do the things one wants to do. Additionally, Rick has identified special recommendations on how to see the high lights of Paris in a short or longer period of time. I love his books and have used them many times when traveling.

I highly recommend this and all of his travel books.

good quick review of paris, October 17, 2010
I am taking a quick trip to Paris, which I have visited several times in the past. I wanted a recent updated guide to Paris to hit the museums and any other desired sites in a short time. I will add the Pompidou center for modern art to my list, as well as sight seeing in Marais. Rick Steves seems to have good suggestions. I will really know after I visit. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is the writer?s bible to freelance success by providing the updated information writers need to get published and get paid for their work. Features include: more than 3,500 completely updated listings from the previous edition; exclusive interviews with successful writers, such as Charlaine Harris, Gwendolyn Heasley, and Cliff Dorfman; completely updated ?How Much Should I Charge?? rate chart for freelancers; and new articles on topics such as how to use social media and online freelance writing. ... Read more

Reviews

basically a good rescource for writers, August 8, 2010
I was disappointed to find that some of the information for the publishers and literary agents is outdated or changed. So be careful.

Easier to use, August 12, 2010
I found the new product much easier to navigate in the Consumer Magazine section, which is the one I mostly use. The magazines are grouped together by catagory in the Table of Contents. This puts all the information at your fingertips instead of having to flip back and forth.

90th anniversary edition, September 5, 2010
If you are serious about writing, you cannot live without this book. For dabblers like me it is fun to turn the pages and speculate on what you can do. I have started a collection of rejection slips.

Decades ago, everything you ever needed was in this one book. Now I have to buy separate books for different purposes like Poets Market. However, I still use this as my main source. There are grey tabs to tell you what section of the book you are reading. The last page has a legend on reading listings. Be careful you might accidentally find something to subscribe to.

I would describe the book in more detail except most people already know the details from older versions. If you ever start to make money you can write the price of this book off on your taxes.

Got it early, July 7, 2010
This is a revised review:
I found a huge number of typos, sometimes the same one over and over again. It seems like multiple people entered the listings and each one had a different way of formatting, so there is an inconsistency in the listings.

Under book publishers they say they don't list subsidy publishers and to let them know if anyone asks for money, yet one of the listings (which offers to write, illustrate and publish a book with your message) is just that.
Insufficient or incorrect contact information. For example one listing said to only contact the editor through email but didn't give an email address.

I'm hoping they accidentally published an early draft and that the quality hasn't really dropped to such a low level. I'm not sure how reliable the listings are with all these errors, so I think I will be returning my copy.

As a freelance writer this book is a "must have", December 25, 2010
This book provides, not only a writers market, it also provides clear instructions to writing query letters, steps to writing various genres to blogging successfully and launching a freelance writing business. Whether you are just getting started as a freelance writer or a seasoned freelance writer, this is a "must have" book.

No library should be without this key reference!, September 11, 2010
Continuing its history of publishing annual, winning references - a 90-year history - this provides over 3,000 updated listings key to any would-be writer's professional success. From book publishers to magazines, literary agents, newspapers and greeting card companies, this covers virtually anyone using a writer's output, juxtaposing listings detailing needs and acceptance routines with interviews and articles on basics such as what to charge for writing and how to produce a professional query letter. No library should be without this key reference!

2011 Wirter's Market, July 25, 2010
Always a valuable reference book, every year. I am certain this will be no exception. ... Read more