Every author should probably have this book on their nightstands, and read a chapter every night before going to bed. That’s where my copy is now. Plus a copy of “The Elephants of Style” by the same author – Bill Walsh. This book should be every author’s “bible.”
To be honest, the title of the book gave away that it is brilliant. The word play is clever but more importantly, it hints at that Bill Walsh encourages his readers TO THINK.
Chapter 1 is titled,” Beyond Search and Replace, Using Your Head as Well as Your Stylebook.” Walsh warns, “Be skeptical of stylebooks.” And, he takes things from there.
Walsh dedicates a lot of space to covering “He or she,” “him or her”, “his or her,” “his or hers; he also covers profanity and “physical descriptions.” This is information all of us can use.
Which can be explained very quickly when reading the section, “Dirty Mind, Clean Copy, Why Every Copy Desk Could Use a 13-Year-Old Boy.
[quote] “....In trying to think of a headline for a reporter’s first-person account of the wonders of his Palm hand-held computer (they’re no longer called Palm Pilots) my first idea was ‘A Man and His Palm: A Love Story.”...”
Yes, this style book is funny, too. Very funny. Reading this book, you’ll think about things you never thought about. A good example: The difference between Preschool and Pre-school. pre-school is an adjective that means “before school.” And – the term pre-school-age children might also refer to newborns. Right. I knew that, so why did I use these words incorrectly, at least half a dozen times?
Naturally, I also found out that I made an error in my last book (and my editor did not see it). In my book I wrote, “Presently, Johnny sang his signature song...”
This was the first time, I used the word “presently” in any book (and I have written more than twenty.) Walsh advises, “PRESENTLY The traditional meaning is “in a short while.” Avoid using it as a synonym for “currently.”
Can you see why you need to read this book?
Finally, as a boxing fan, I want to give a shout-out to Bill Walsh for using many examples from the world of boxing. All are well-chosen (and rare).
For instance, in the section “African-American” vs. “Black,’ Walsh writes, “ There is no racial difference between African-Americans and African-Canadians, so how can African-American constitute a race? I suppose you could refer to boxer Frank Bruno as an African-Briton, ...
5 stars, I am a fan,
Gisela Hausmann, author and blogger
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Frequently bought together
$13.98
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
