The Economist Style Guide: 11th Edition

If you don't write what you mean, how will people know what you mean?

The Economist Style Guide: 11th Edition
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: A succinct, witty guide to writing so that people understand what you are saying. Packed full of other useful information. Highly recommended.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 288	Date: May 2015
Publisher: Economist Books
ISBN: 978-1781253120
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We all have our blind spots with regard to spelling, grammar and the meanings of words, but unless we're rigorous about writing with precision we risk being misunderstood. You could, of course, mentally return to school and work your way through a book on English grammar, but what if your problem is the occasional words which are confused ( alternate or alternative, anyone), or you're wondering when it is OK to use an ampersand without getting your head bitten off. You might wonder how foreign names should be used. You can bet that your grammar crammer isn't going to give you the answers you're looking for, but The Economist Style Guide will.

I hope that I'm not making this book sound dry, because it isn't. It's a reference book, but, amazingly, I started at the beginning and read right through to the end. Sometimes I read for far longer than I intended, fascinated by the nuggets of information, occasionally hanging my head in shame at my transgressions and often laughing out loud. The wit is dry, never forced and always gentle. It's a large part of the book's charm. You might be learning, but you are not being patronised.

You work your way through glitches alphabetically (I found some I never knew I had...) with cross references if your problem is going to be solved under a new heading. I was a big fan of the tenth edition of the book, published in 2010 and I did wonder how much would have changed. Much is the same but there are subtle changes in usage of language and several additions to the lists at the back of the book. The book is a little gold mine with a very reasonable cover price and there should be one within the reach of every desk.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you do want to 'begin at the beginning' and revisit the rules of English grammar in some depth then we can recommend Everyday English for Grown-Ups: Getting to Grips with the Basics by Michelle Finlay or I Used to Know That: English by Patrick Scrivenor. Should you want to know more about the origin of words then have a look at Little Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins by Julia Cresswell (Editor). If you're worried about clichés you'll find It's Been Said Before: A Guide to the Use and Abuse of Cliches by Orin Hargraves is the best thing since sliced bread. (Yes, I know. I'm sorry.)

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Economist Style Guide: 11th Edition at Amazon.com.

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