Editorial Review

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia—a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo—to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah, who was devastated to learn about her mother’s cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance? 
          
Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences. ... Read more

Reviews

Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Henrietta Lacks, February 5, 2010
Wow. This book should be required reading for scientists and students of life. The true story of Henrietta Lacks and her family has finally been told, beautifully, in this book. The book encompasses science, ethics, and the story of a family who was terribly wronged in the pursuit of scientific research. I could gush about this book for pages but I'll try first to hit the main points of why this book is so remarkable in list form for the sake of brevity:


1. The author clearly developed a strong relationship with the Lacks family, which was absolutely critical to ensuring the story was told accurately and with the respect to Henrietta Lacks that was so deeply deserved.

2. The storytelling is amazingly moving despite the need to convey a lot of scientific information. It reads like fiction.

3. Ms. Skloot's research into the science is impeccable.

4. The book is FAIR. It presents the unvarnished truth, obtained DIRECTLY from as many prinicpal people involved in the story as is humanly possible. It would have been easier to simplify the story into heroes vs. villians, but Ms. Skloot deftly handles all sides of the story.


For some detail: I have worked with HeLa cells in the past, but did not know even the barest information about the story of Henrietta Lacks until a few years ago. It simply was not common knowledge, until a few less ethical folks released her name and medical records to the public. This obviously should not have been done without the express permission of the Lacks family, which Ms. Skloot obtained. In the past, others have not been as ethical. The book covers Ms. Lacks' early life, how her cells came to be harvested, and what happened to both the cells and her family afterward.

The contributions of HeLa cells to science are absolutely staggering and cannot be over-stated. The sections where the science was described were clear and accurate. With the story of Ms. Lacks' family interwoven, this book was fairly close to perfect. I found myself moved to tears several times because of the fate of the Lacks family and Henrietta's daughter's indomitable spirit. I do not think anyone but Ms. Skloot could have written this book. She worked with the family for over a decade in order to get the story right. This was critical, as the family had been wronged too many times in the past.

Thank you for this astounding work of art. I will be donating to the Henrietta Lacks foundation in honor of the entire family, and I hope many others will read the book and be similarly moved.

Captivating, engrossing, fascinating, heartbreaking, englightening...ALL in one stellar book!, January 16, 2010

2010 Non-Fiction Award Winner?, January 8, 2010

Absolutely superb, January 17, 2010

A fantastic effort about the life of a forgotten woman, March 14, 2010
Henrietta Lacks was born to an impoverished family of in rural Virginia in 1920. Her family worked on the same tobacco fields that their slave ancestors did during the preceding century, and after her mother died she grew up in her grandfather's dilapidated log cabin that served as slave quarters. She left school after the sixth grade to pick tobacco for ten cents per day on the farms of local whites. Henrietta had her first child with her first cousin Day at age 14, and they eventually married and moved to a small town outside of Baltimore during World War II so that Day could work at Bethlehem Steel for less than 80 cents an hour.

In early 1951, Henrietta went to the gynecology clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital after feeling a "knot" in her womb. After she was taken to a "Colored" examination room, the gynecologist on duty found a firm mass on her cervix that seemed cancerous, but was unlike anything he had ever seen. He sent a slice of the mass for analysis, and Henrietta was soon diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Henrietta returned to Johns Hopkins a few weeks later, where she underwent treatment for cervical cancer. She was given a generalized consent form that gave permission for her doctors to perform any operative procedures necessary to treat her illness. However, she was not told that one of the staff gynecologists was collecting specimens of clinic patients with cervical cancer for a clinical study, and biopsies of healthy and cancerous cervical tissues were taken from her during her initial procedure. The cancerous cells, which were named HeLa after the first two letters of Henrietta's first and last names, proved to be the first human cells that could be grown indefinitely in a nutrient broth, and the Johns Hopkins researchers were overjoyed at this long awaited success.

The treatment she received at Hopkins was state of the art, but was unsuccessful, due to the aggressive nature of her primary tumor, and she succumbed to her illness several months later. The researchers wanted to acquire more specimens from her tumor ridden body by performing an autopsy with biopsies. Her husband, after initially denying a request for an autopsy, was misled into agreeing to allow the Hopkins pathologists to perform a limited autopsy, after he was told that the doctors wanted to run tests that might help his children someday.

The HeLa cell line was provided to scientists and organizations worldwide for minimal cost, as neither the researchers nor Johns Hopkins profited from the first immortal human cell line. However, a number of companies made millions of dollars by mass producing HeLa and selling them at a much higher cost. HeLa was used in numerous important biomedical studies, including the development of the Salk polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh in the mid-1950s, cancer and viral research projects, and studies of the effects of weightlessness and space travel on the human body by NASA.

During this time Henrietta's husband and children were completely unaware that her cells had been harvested for medical research by the Hopkins doctors. By that time most of them were living in poverty in Baltimore, and were unable to afford basic health insurance. Articles about HeLa began to appear in medical journals and in the lay press, but it wasn't until 1973 that the family accidentally learned about the HeLa cell line. The family was contacted by Johns Hopkins, so that their cells could be analyzed and compared to those taken from Henrietta 22 years earlier. Once again they were misled into believing that the purpose of these tests was to determine if any of her children also had cancer, which caused Deborah, Henrietta's oldest surviving daughter, many years of anguish.

Once Henrietta's name was released in the media, the family was besieged by journalists and others wishing to profit from her story, causing her husband and children to become distrustful and wary.

Rebecca Skloot became interested in Henrietta Lacks after hearing about the HeLa cell line and its forgotten host as an undergraduate student. She spent many months and countless hours attempting to contact the Lacks family, and she slowly but painfully gained the trust of Deborah and her siblings, after she promised to tell the family's story alongside the history of HeLa.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a fantastic achievement, given the hurdles that Skloot had to overcome to obtain information from the Lacks family, Johns Hopkins, and the other key actors in this story. In addition to an in-depth history of this ordinary yet quite remarkable family, she provides just the right amount of information about HeLa and what it meant for biomedical research, along with information about informed consent from the 1950s to the present, the effect of race on medical care in the United States and the views of African-Americans toward medical experimentation, and the biology of cancer. The book is meant for a lay audience, but it would be of interest to those with a formal medical background. I found the book to be a bit overly sentimental and personal at times, but this is a very minor criticism of a fabulous book.

5 star story, February 17, 2010
Just so id doesn't sound like I damn this book with faint praise, let me say that this was an excellent story told well (for the most part). I'll save the synopsis for others. Needless to say, Henrietta Lacks' story is just as gripping as the science that was done with her cells. You will most likely enjoy her story (as I did).

My criticisms:

The author spends a rather substantial portion of the book describing her own efforts. It didn't add to Henrietta's story and leaving it out would have made for a better, more concise narrative.

Black people were treated inhumanely to say the least (go look up the Tuskeegee Syphilis Study, for example). At the risk of sounding callous, this is well trod ground and some of it could also have been omitted for the sake of brevity without losing any of the story's impact.

Lastly, there is an implicit condemnation of the doctors that took her cells (the author does say that this was "common practice" at the time). I can tell you that as a former cancer patient who has been biopsied more times than I care to remember, once a doctor removes something from you, it's gone. They are not going to pay you for it.

Those criticism aside, this is a worthy read.

An astonishing scientific, sociological, racial exploration--and an engrossing work of art, December 28, 2009

Good try, but could have been better, July 31, 2010
I'm a big fan of science and medical non-fiction, so when I saw the rave reviews for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I was excited to read it. It started off strong; I'd give the first half five stars. The oral history of the Lacks family was fascinating, and I loved reading about how the cells got their start in the lab. When the author introduced the adult family (Deborah, et al), I felt a strong sympathy for them and what they'd been through. I was already recommending it to friends, anticipating that the second half would be as good.

However, once I got to the second half, it went downhill considerably. The writing was fairly tight in the beginning, keeping all of the stories woven together in a comprehensible way, but seemed to unravel as the book went on. When I read the introduction, I didn't understand why Skloot was so defensive about inserting herself into the book (in my experience, medical non-fiction authors do it all the time), but I soon realized why - because by the second half, the book becomes less about HeLa, science, history, and ethics, and instead turns exclusively into a memoir about Skloot's dealings with the family. And at this point, the family became unsympathetic and insufferable. The writing became repetitive, somewhat informal, and ridden with unnecessary details. One reviewer called this book "deftly written" and I'd have to disagree. The second half gets one star.

The book ended on a strong note, with the Afterward. The Afterward took us back to questions of bioethics. As I was reading it, I wondered why the Afterward was a separate part - couldn't it have been woven into the second half of the book?

In short, I thought this book was merely ok, but as the reviews show, a lot of people loved it. If you think that you're one of the people who will love it, read it. If you're looking for a book that's just outstanding, look somewhere else.

Is Immortality really worth the price?, January 21, 2010

Two different books, August 25, 2010
I enjoyed the first half of the book. It was informative and educational. The second half - not so much. It took a bad turn with the introduction of Deborah and their trip together. The author depicted her as a woman who has the mind of a hyperactive 5 year old with ADD. "Oh my god. . . . I did this to her?" Maybe. Maybe not. The book went from the scientific and factual to the land of superstition and sensationalism I was left with the impression the book was a collage of facts and embellished observations. It's a good idea to leave your readers for a desire for more. I was left with a desire for less. ... Read more

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

"One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year....Gross, educational, and unexpectedly sidesplitting."—Entertainment Weekly

Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.

In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them. ... Read more

Reviews

Death is not the end, May 20, 2003
This is a book about dead bodies. As Mary Roach demonstrates in her new book, some bodies go on to do remarkable things, such as helping FAA investigators understand why a plane crashed or helping auto-makers design safety features that save thousands of lives. Others are asked to do nothing more than rot away quietly at a research lab where forensic scientists study decomposition in order to improve crime scene investigation techniques. Some are put to slightly more questionable uses, such as the severed heads used by plastic surgeons to practice their facelift technique (surely not what people had in mind when they donated their bodies to science). Others have had even more bizarre adventures. Cadavers have been nailed to a cross in order to prove the authenticity of the shroud of Turin. Severed heads have been poked, prodded, and given transfusions in an attempt to revive them long after they and their bodies have parted ways.

The anonymous cadavers that are the subjects of STIFF could hardly have asked for a livelier or more sympathetic chronicler than Mary Roach, who has managed to write a book that balances sensitivity and respect with a wonderfully sharp wit. In fact, STIFF is unexpectedly and quite blessedly hilarious, although the humor never comes at the expense at the dead bodies that populate its pages. Instead, Roach uses humor as a kind of psychic safety valve, a vital and much-appreciated tension release from what is, at times, some very intense subject matter.

The real highlights of this book are the sections that delve into some of the more disreputable uses of cadavers. There is a droll and utterly hilarious history of body snatching and a short overview of medicinal cannibalism (human mummy confection, anyone?). There�s a fascinating catalog of the methods historically used to make sure that a dead body was in fact dead. This chapter culminates in what is surely the most spectacularly strange section of the book, in which Roach relates the story of Dr. Robert White, a neurosurgeon who in the mid-1960s performed a series of surgeries constituting what could be considered the first head transplant (or full body transplant, depending on your point of view). A wonderfully engrossing book on a subject most of us are reluctant to talk about.

Good Book with Some New Perspectives on Death, April 27, 2003
First, Mary Roach has a terrific sense of humor. She takes a challenging subject and finds ways to make you laugh just when you need it. Her humor is irreverent, but never disrespectful. She can laugh at some of the absurdity, yet still appreciate the pain dying can bring.

This is well written, well researched, and thorough. My one, very minor complaint is with the organization of the book. I feel as though it starts much more strongly than it finishes. So, for example, she might have considered organizing the chapters differently.

I don't think you need a particularly strong stomach to read this book. Only one item actually turned my stomach. But when it did, it *really* did.

The book succeeded in making me think about my own death. It also made me think about my mother's death and made it easier to accept certain events. ...

I hope this book will make you laugh and then think too.

And you thought death was depressing---, July 24, 2003
Mary Roach did her homework, and it shows. She has written and information packed, insightful, educational, respectful, and, yes, funny book on what happens to these bodies of ours when we get tired of hanging out in them. I have a newfound respect for all who have donated their bodies in the name of science. Not that I give it a lot of thought, but I figured cremation would be the most logical choice. After reading this book, heck, they can do whatever they want with me. I've always felt an obligation to help others, and if I can continue to do so after I have left this world, then HOORAY.
Meanwhile, expect some odd looks when you are sitting there reading a book obviously about the dearly departed, and you started sputtering, and can't help but laugh out loud! Quirky humour, but that's my favorite kind. Thank you, Mary Roach.
I recommend this book to anyone in healthcare, or the clergy, or anyone even dealing with people who experience loss. It gives you a new perspective.
On the other hand, I will have a hard time ever eating gelatin again...

Stiff, August 11, 2003
A few nights ago I made a weekend resolution that I'd tackle the much-neglected stack of fiction that teeters on my bedside table. However, while reverentially picking up 'The Body Artist' by Don Delillo, I was distracted by a misplaced reader's copy of Mary Roach's 'Stiff'. Evidently, despite my best intentions, a modest volume of non-fiction had managed to steal it's way into my fiction pile. As morbid curiosity has always been a personal failing, I cheerfully chucked aside 'The Body Artist' and eagerly cracked open Roach's book. For the first time in over two years, I read an entire volume in one sitting.

Roach opens her book with the comparison of death to a pleasure cruise: The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back. The brain has shut down. The flesh begins to soften. Nothing much new happens, and nothing is expected of you....

Stiff is, without a doubt, a bizarre yet remarkably engaging read: not surprising since Roach is such a terrific writer. The author possesses the ingenious ability of being able to make digestible the most repulsive of subjects. Curious, yet not callus, Roach manages to ask-and yes, answer-questions often best left unspoken (keeping in mind public decorum). Furthermore, Roach is hilarious. Quite honestly I was surprised at how many times the author prompted (albeit sometimes guilty) laughter. A neat trick that, keeping in mind the grisly subject matter.

Roach gleefully covers merry topics such as: practicing surgery on the dead, embalmment, body snatching, the process of decay, human crash test dummies, crucifixion experiments, live burials, human head transplants, ecological (read: green) releasments, and everyone's all-time favourite- cannibalism. All the while Roach manages to honour the dead, yet simultaneously takes deliberate pains not to over-glorify the cadaver-science is science after all. One of the most remarkable aspects about Roach's book is her take on cultural definitions of `acceptable behaviour' in relation to the human carcass.

Tonight, inspired by Roach's second to last chapter: Out of the Fire, into the tissue digester: and other new ways to end up... I asked an agnostic friend if, following her death, she'd be willing to have her body ground into dog food. "No," replied my friend, despite her love for all things canine, "...I don't think so- it seems somewhat undignified." I then asked my friend if she'd be willing to have her remains tossed into the lion pen at her local zoo. My friend replied in the positive, "Most certainly, yes that'd be very cool. Maybe even a shark tank..." Vanity to be certain. Meat either way.

A warning to the queasy: Not for you.

Gee, Mommy, can I too be a STIFF when I grow up?, May 22, 2003
Perhaps author Mary Roach thought the title of her book, STIFF, too ghoulish because she immediately begins in a festive mood:

"... being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back. The brain has shut down. The flesh begins to soften. Nothing much new happens, and nothing is expected of you." Carnival, Viking, and Holland America, take note.

As a corpse, you can indeed, as on last summer's voyage to the Bahamas, veg out. Or, as the narrative reveals, be an integral part of other activities. Why, I didn't realize that being dead could be so lively.

First and foremost, your cadaver could become the prize of body snatchers, and subsequently be sold to a medical school for the instruction and amusement of students. Or perhaps you aspire to become a crash test dummy, fodder for the military's munitions tests, or the subject of experiments in composting, freeze-drying or plastination. If you're unlucky enough to die in an airplane disaster of unknown cause, investigators may scrutinize your body, or its widely scattered pieces, for clues as to where in the aircraft the fuselage cracked open or the bomb exploded. Your dissected brain or heart could fuel arguments over the seat of the soul, while other body parts serve as the raw material for disease remedies. Or maybe just be eaten by cannibals. And, if you're the outdoorsy type, you can recline in a grove on a grassy hillside behind the University of Tennessee Medical Center where the various stages of human decomposition are studied and recorded.

STIFF is one of the most fascinating books I've read recently, even after taking into account the "yuk" factor. (In ancient Rome, the blood of freshly slaughtered gladiators was thought to cure epilepsy, while modern day Web sites have recipes for Placenta Lasagna and Placenta Pizza for those who would consume the delicacy to stave off postpartum depression.) This is largely due to the author's chatty style and marvelous sense of humor, which is dry as a mummy. For example, when declaring the existence of a Central Park statue of a certain Dr. Sims, otherwise notable for describing a suitable patient position for gynecological exam, Roach writes in a footnote:

"If you don't believe me, you can look it up yourself, on page 56 of THE ROMANCE OF PROCTOLOGY. (Sims was apparently something of a dilettante when it came to bodily orifices.) P.S.: I could not, from cursory skimming, ascertain what the romance was."

I highly recommend STIFF for the not too squeamish adult, or as a scary Halloween gift for one who is. Or as a bedtime reader for precocious youngsters - they'll think it gross, but way cool, as children are wont to do.

In case you're wondering, there's no photo section.

One of the Best Books of 2003, May 7, 2003
A book about cadavers (well, it's really about death itself) was the last thing I thought I'd ever pick up. But after reading the first few paragraphs, I knew I was in good hands. Sure, the content is fascinating in its own right, but Mary Roach's gift for writing is just as noteworthy. As has been noted elsewhere, she approaches a grisly subject with, alternately, humor, curiosity, forceful opinion (directed mainly at the quacks from previous centuries and their butchery in the name of science), graphic (but not gratuitous) detail, and unfailing respect for her subjects.

Thanks to "Stiff," I'm not so squeamish about issues surrounding the deceased anymore.

Mary Roach is a great writer. This book is a keeper.

Absolutely,Insanely Fantastic, June 18, 2003
I Saw this book on the shelf and the minute I read the first few sentences I was hooked. I read it at work,on the train and at home. This book was so good. Mary Roach is amazing. She is respectful and yet she adds sarcasm and such great humor on a subject matter that many people avoid. I am an avid reader on
forensic science and true crime. But, Ms.Roach opened up a whole new world to me with this book. As a reader you will discover things that will amaze and suprise you. Stiff gives the reader an insider look to what scientists and doctors do in order to try and improve the lives of the living. These people are the brave and silent ones who do what many cannot.This book is definitely a must read for not just the summer but for the year and the year after that.

A weird little guilty pleasure read, April 23, 2004
Who knew a morbid topic like cadavers could provide such a fertile source for humor? I found myself laughing out loud many times while reading this odd but fascinating book. Early on the author states that Stiff is not about the process of dying or the loss of loved ones which are decidedly unfunny topics. It's all about the curious things that human kind has done with the dead over the centuries. Yes, much of it is rather gruesome but it's written in such a humourous and tasteful way as not to be offensive (strange as that may sound). This is not subject matter that most people would be apt to admit an interest in, however there must be a reason there are so many popular "morgue" shows on TV. While certainly not for everyone, if you've ever been curious about the "lives" of cadavers, this one will not disappoint. 4.5 stars.

Would you be my best friend?, April 4, 2004
I first opened the book to the middle and read something about what happpens to bodies when they are donated to science. It was a little hard to read but fascinating information. Then I turned to another page and read about what happens to a human body even after embalming. By then I didn't feel so good. Was it the book or the Mandarin chicken I had for lunch? I kept reading.

I decided I might not be ready to read this book after all. I meant to put it down put somehow found myself starting from the beginning and reading every word. By the time I got to page 22, "You cut off heads. You cut off heads. You cut off heads." I decided that I wanted the author, Mary Roach to be my best friend. The book reads like an histerical conversation between friends about an absolutely morbid topic. The humor helps you through the information you need to know.

The book made me feel a lot better about donating my body or body parts to science. And, I feel a lot better about being a journalist and writing as well. A fascinating read.

Fun with the Dead, April 24, 2003
I loved this book. It is filled with great history and ever surprising humor. Roach makes the creepiest and most unsettling situations and themes interesting and compelling.The writing is crisp, illuminating and at times screw ball and as I contemplated corpses in their many activites and professions I gained a new respect for them. I don't think I want my body used as a crash test dummy or have a group of medical students slice me up but Roach gives a new respect to people who give their bodies for these uses. A must read for the curious with a sense of humor. ... 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

Contains rules of grammar phrased as direct orders and provides the principal requirements of plain English style.Concentrates on fundamentals: the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated.Softcover. DLC: English language--Style. ... Read more

Reviews

Essential Writer's Tool., August 27, 2001
When I write a book I use only a handful of reference tools: dictionary, thesaurus, Gregg's Reference Handbook, Writers Market, and the Elements of Style. Strunk and White is a wonderfully-written, extraordinarily concise tool that pays homage to classic high-end English. It takes language insight to make this prediction in 1979: "By the time this paragraph makes print, uptight... rap, dude, vibes, copout, and funky will be the words of yesteryear." The book begins with eleven "Elementary Rules of Usage," and then continues with eleven more "Elementary Rules of Composition," and eleven "Matters of Form." Each is presented as a brief statement followed by another sentence or two of explanation and a few clarifying examples. This amazing compilation fills only thirty-eight pages, yet covers ninety percent of good writing fundamentals. My favorite section is Chapter IV, a twenty-seven-page, alphabetical listing of commonly misused words and expressions. Here's a trade secret: when my manuscript is "done," I then turn to this chapter and use my word processor's Find function to study every instance of all these problematic words and phrases. I never fail to find errors this way. Many great writers are so only because they've learned to make use of the best available tools. The end of the book contains an essay on "An Approach to Style" with a list of twenty-one "Reminders." Those who fight the apparently-natural tendency to go against these recommendations succeed as writers. Those who don't, fail. It's that simple. The single drawback of The Elements of Style is that it's too concise; it does not stand alone as an all-encompassing tutorial or reference guide. Many readers will seek other sources for more in-depth explanation of style elements. Despite that, it easily replaces ten pounds of other reference material. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

Essential, June 7, 2003
As the 'rules' in this iconic book take up only 14 pages, it continually amazes me how often I can find the answer to a grammar or punctuation guestion within those pages. It doesn't cover everything, and some of the 'rules' are of course changing with the passage of time - but if a wannabe writer can't afford a whole bookcase of tomes on How to Write, then this is the one he or she should buy.
Beyond those 14 pithy pages, however, are another 100 or so that extend the value of the book immeasurably: Principles of Composition, Commonly Misused Words, and perhaps the most valuable: An Approach to Style, which gives excellent advice along the lines of Do not overwrite, Avoid qualifiers, Don't over-explain, Avoid adverbs, Avoid dialect, Don't inject opinion, and tons of others.
When all's said and done, however, one of the very best parts is a wonderful essay by the inimitable EB White himself - the Introduction, which serves as a perfect example of all that the rest of the small book preaches: write concisely, clearly, and well, and say something worthwhile.
Other books for writers to consider: Bird by Bird, On Writing, and Writing Down the Bones.

TEXTBOOKS DON'T HAVE TO BE BIG, March 19, 2001
While skimming through Stephen King's book ON WRITING, he highly recommended THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE. Taking his advice I searched for a copy and found one in a free bin--of all places! I looked at it and decided that it was so much better than any other textbook that I had seen that I decided to WRITE IT. Three pages a day for a month or so. It's a very short book, only about 80 pages or so. You learn everything from words that are often spelled wrong, to punctuation, to style, etc. Very blunt and to the point. No exercises in here, problems 1 - 10 all. Nope, you just read this book and enjoy it. Why, there's actually a little humor in it at times, which is pretty good for a textbook. Now I've heard some people say that this book is bad because it is saying to follow all these rules and don't stray from them. I think they got it all wrong. This book is essentially saying this: you can't blaze new trails in the English language without having a solid foundation in the basics first! This goes for ANYTHING. You don't suddenly set off an a 200 mile trek, you slowly work up to it, starting from the basics. After you have mastered the basics, then you can break free. One thing that this book continually points out is that it is OFTEN A MATTER OF EAR. Meaning that if you are experienced enough, you will know whether to stick to the traditional or whether to be liberal when phrasing something, for example. By far this is the most talked-about textbook that I've seen and the most valuable.

Indispensable for anyone who wants to write., September 24, 1998
I bought my first copy of THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE nearly thirty years ago, when I was 13 years old. It cost me one dime, in a thrift shop. That is still the best dime I've ever spent.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE is indispensable for anyone who wants to write. It distills the essence of writing clear, direct, logical prose. I read it four times a year; in addition, I read it again whenever I am about to begin a large writing project. This book has shaped every word I've ever written, and it has taught me more than I can say about life. That may sound weird or idiosyncratic, but it's not -- for the principles that guide the writing of clear, direct, logical English prose are the same principles that guide a life of integrity and commitment. Writing honestly and clearly is the surest path to living honestly and clearly.

Buy it, read it, reread it, live by it. You won't be sorry.

A short book every writer should read once a year., December 16, 1996
Many books about writing are huge, but "The Elements of Style," the best of them, is extremely short: 92 pages, including index. Read them all. Briefly and vigorously, Strunk and White will tell you, for example, when to use (and not to use) commas, which words to avoid, how to divide paragraphs, and generally how to pare your writing down to essentials. Many professional writers advise reading Strunk and White cover-to-cover once a year. If you do any regular writing, of letters or anything else, then follow that advice.

Ignore the pseudo-intellectuals, December 4, 2000
I've noticed a number of pseudo-intellectuals here complaining about ``The Elements of Style'' based mostly on the fact that is pedantic and restrictive. Obviously these people have neither read the definition of ``element'' nor studied art.

These are the basic rules, one half-step above grammar, that should be followed by al people that need to make themselves definitively understood through written communication. It is more than obvious that far too many people have gone through their lives without ever having been exposed to the simple, basic rules presented in this book. How many times have you seen a sign that claims ``Egg's $2.00''? I often wonder why I should care about how much money some guy named Egg has. The majority of the rules that proposed by Mr. Strunk are not pedantic, but simply the basic rules of the English language. There are also other rules that are excellent for straightforward making-yourself-understood writing. These are much more flexible, a point often made in the book by the authors. However, if you don't know what you're doing, these rules are much better to follow than the rules apparently made up on the spot by most uninformed writers.

The vague point that some of these pseudo-intellectuals seem to make is that writing this way is very limiting. However, the point of the book, and of rules in general, is to be limiting. If one is striving to make art, one needs to intentionally break rules. However, it is difficult to break rules if one does not know what they are. There is certainly an element of art that discounts rules altogether, but those artists tend not to work in the element of writing at all. It is difficult at best to convey this sort of mindset through words, as words are very definitive and that sort of art is almost totally expressionist.

In other words, I would encourage everyone to read this book, or in some way get these basic rules of English in his head. ...

Anh..., August 11, 1999
OK. So this is one of the definitive reference books on style in written English. Just don't confuse style with grammar--if you want to understand grammar per se, this isn't the book for you. (Steven Pinker's "The Language Instinct" is what you want--quite a bit wittier than Strunk & White, too.) "The Chicago Manual of Style" or "Wired Style: Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age" are both for sale at Amazon, too, and I think they're ultimately better references. But if you want to write well, well, buy Strunk & White, and abide by their oft-archaic but always lucid guidelines. Just, please, don't stop with them. The most-acclaimed writers in the English language conform not closely to Strunk & White's principles (cf. Shakespeare, Jefferson, Longfellow, Hemmingway, Pynchon, Morrison... whatever your taste may be), so be mindful that this book is not alone the key to becoming a great writer.

Great Little Book, May 9, 2004
A pithy little handbook that gives rules and examples to help you avoid the most common mistakes in writing, plus some smart advice on the finer points by a renowned essayist and children's writer. It is by far the single most useful book on writing. But it is not the last word. For those who wish to go further, I recommend these books in addition to Strunk & White: The Prentice Hall Handbook for Writers, for a review of basic grammar and syntax; Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, by Joseph M. Williams, for more detailed advice on constructing paragraphs; The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing, by Thomas Kane, for more general advice; and Garner's Modern American Usage, for intelligent, detailed, and up-to-date guidance on diction. All these books belong on the shelf of every serious writer.

(By the way, I agree with the previous reviewer that the third edition is slightly preferable to the current one.)

Short and concise, the way you should write, March 24, 2001
This book can be read in a couple hours (at most), but despite its short length, it provides many useful suggestions to help clarify one's writing. It is mostly a collection of simple rules and their explanations, all of which are easy to grasp and to employ in one's writing. As in George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language," the central theme here is to be clear. Be precise and don't confuse the reader.

The table of contents list the rules, so once you've read the book, you can just flip to the contents to remind yourself of them. If you want to improve your writing, there are many books on the topic, but here is where to start. If you disagree with the rules as some Amazon reviewers do, fine. The authors are dead, and I'm sure they won't take it too personally if you criticize their work. But I don't find the rules restrictive. To the contrary, unless you really know the language and are adept at using it, you can't break these rules without making a terrible blunder. Anybody who writes will benefit from spending an hour or so skimming through this book once every few years.

Get the 3rd Edition, September 4, 2003
The second edition of this classic work improved on the first edition, and the third was the best of all. It was perfection. The fourth, posthumous edition slips a little bit. It's still better than any other style guide, but a hint of Political Correctness has crept into some of its advice and examples. Why did the publishers feel the need to tinker with perfection? If you already have the third edition, don't bother getting the new one. If you don't have any copies of this great book, check the used bookstores for the previous edition. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Thought provoking, November 28, 2010
I picked up this book having read a couple of other books by Bill Shore (The Cathedral Within and The Light of Conscience). His two previous books were both readable and inspiring...and this latest was just as good. Shore's stories about some incredibly persistent and unrelenting scientific inquiry is backdrop for a bigger theme about what it takes to actually solve global social issues. The picture he paints of one of these scientists spending his time extracting material out of thousands of individual mosquitoes and going against the entire scientific establishment has stayed with me. Malaria has stuck around despite a lot of money and time going toward eradicating or controlling it. It would be easy to become jaded about the possibilities of putting an end to the scourge. Instead, Shore shows us a path toward a solution - and a way to think about other difficult social problems. I ran through this book in a day and felt both entertained and inspired.

An Antidote to Cynicism, December 3, 2010
An extraordinarily inspiring new book about possibility and courage told through the lens of one brave, disruptive soul's odyssey to create a vaccine for malaria.

The book is not just a treatise on malaria. It's an antidote to cynicism and despair, no matter where or how it might creep into our lives or our thinking. It is a forensic expose of all of those sinister and cunning things that try to suffocate our idealism, both from the outside and within - skepticism, doubt, distrust, suspicion, disbelief, pessimism,negativity, weariness and disenchantment.

In a culture that emphasizes fear and impossibility, here is an anthem that sings that all things are possible. It reminds us that if we are daring, failing, stumbling, falling, getting back up, and challenging the status quo, then we are really living. It's the opposite of the cover-your-ass, play-it-safe, the-sky-is-falling dirge the culture would have us humming.

Every once and a while people like Billy come along and remind us that life is miraculous if you want it to be. Thank God for them.

Creative Discovery Via Playing on a Different Field, December 12, 2010
Bill Shore tells a fascinating story of a diverse group of scientists approaching the "killer" problem that is malaria, a problem made the more difficult because it does not offer the high profits potential of many other drugs. While the military and travelers are interested, the primary market is poor countries, particularly in Africa, presenting challenges for distributing any vaccine or other solution. Shore uses scientist Steve Hoffman as a focal point for his theme that it takes imagination, and an unwillingness to see what many would perceive as dead ends, to solve a problem that is both scientific and economic. The analogies that Shore draws throughout the book between the work of Steve Hoffman and other scientists and solving other social problems which market forces haven't supported are thought provoking. Shore's core theme of thinking beyond the box - thinking about tackling the problem on a completely different playing field than it has been tackled before, is inspirational and has remained with me as I think about the book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Concise Rules of APA Style, Sixth Edition offers essential writing and formatting standards for students, teachers, researchers, and clinicians in the social and behavioral sciences.This easy-to-use pocket guide, compiled from the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, provides complete guidance on the rules of style that are critical for clear communication.Readers will learn how to avoid the grammatical errors most commonly reported by journal editors; how to choose the appropriate format for statistics, figures, and tables; how to credit sources and avoid charges of plagiarism; and how to construct a reference list through a wide variety of examples and sources.

In addition to guidance on grammar points that have challenged writers in the social sciences, the Concise Rules provides suggestions for reducing bias in language; reviews the mechanics of style for punctuation, spelling, capitalization, abbreviation, italicization, headings, and quotations; examines the preferred use of numbers as well as standards for metrication and statistics; provides guidance on the construction and formatting of tables, figures, and appendixes; and offers clear examples and models for citing sources and constructing error-free reference lists.

How does the Concise Rules differ from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association?The Publication Manual remains the best source for broad background information about scientific publishing.It provides detailed guidance on publication ethics, journal article reporting standards, and the process of journal publication.The Concise Rules, by comparison, targets only those rules writers need for choosing the best words and format for their articles.It offers a comprehensive list of essential writing standards in a convenient, easily retrievable format.

Available in a light-weight, spiral-bound format, the Concise Rules will travel easily from home to school to office.It will be an invaluable reference tool for all social science scholars who are serious about communicating clearly and effectively.

Key to this edition is an updated and expanded APA Style website, with many additional resources to help readers learn APA style, including free tutorials, on-line courses, frequently asked questions, sample papers, and the APA Style blog.

The sixth edition of Concise Rules has been revised and updated to include

-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;
-a new discussion on the use of online supplemental materials, including lengthy data sets and other media, to enrich the published article;
-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 electrophysiological and biological data;
-an expanded discussion of electronic sources, emphasizing the role of the digital object identifier (DOI) as a reliable way to locate information; and
-a wealth of new reference examples, with a focus on new electronic formats.

New and experienced readers alike will find the sixth edition a complete resource for writing with clarity and precision. ... Read more

Reviews

Incomplete, October 10, 2005
There's no rules for title pages, no examples of manuscript pages, no rules for pagination. It doesn't even tell you if the reference list belongs on a separate page or what its heading looks like. I consider these glaring omissions, particularly if you are expected to use pure APA and have no departmental style guide (like me). This book is basically a glorified guide to citation and syntactic rules. Avoid it and pay the extra five bucks for the complete book. Getting the cheap book as some kind of protest won't signficantly hurt the APA and it will just make things harder for you.

Good book, lacking in visual references, October 3, 2005
While this is a great condensation of the main rules needed to write in APA style, this book lacks one major thing -- the practical examples of how to apply APA style in a document or manuscript.

The book would be greatly enhanced if in future editions the editors added the examples that are found in the full APA guidelines handbook.

This is a supplement, not a primary resource, August 30, 2006
Hopefully this statement will help those of you who are trying to decide what to buy: If you do not own a full copy of the APA Publication Manual, then do not buy this book. This book is meant to be a pocket-sized reference guide that you can carry with you. It is meant as a supplement, but it is not the primary resource -- the APA Publication Manual is the primary resource.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, here is my review: This book may have omitted a few things that I would have preferred they left in (you won't know what you need until you need it). But by and large they did a good job of condensing a large book into a pocket guide.

Stefplans, May 12, 2007
I thought this would be a more helpful book than the APA Publication Manual, but I was wrong. This small volume does not cover enough items that I need to write a graduate level paper. I suggest purchasing only the Publication Manual.

Concise was too concise, January 3, 2007
This is probably a useful book for someone who is familiar with APA style. For someone loke myself who had no knowledge of the style rules it was of little use. I'd suggest buying the full version of APA style rules if you're just learning the format.

As Expected, September 20, 2005
There is not much rating that can be done with a reference book such as this. It gives the APA Rules in concise fashion just like it promises. The Reference citing examples are very thorough. It gives the rules on headings as well as how things like numbers, abbreviations, quotes, and other rules of citing in text should be done. It is small and handy enough to keep near the computer. I love it and don't see any reason why anyone needs the big manual if they have this. It lists all the rules only, so if you are looking for a sample of a whole paper, you will not find it here.

My Review, September 10, 2005
Some peopel may find this book useful. I am just begining to learn the APA format and I did not find this book to be user friendly. I have had better information given to me from handouts from other books.

Critical Information for Writing for the APA Publications, April 13, 2005
The first question you'd have to ask about this book is Why would the American Psychological Association have a style guide.

The answer is that the APA Style is the definitive guide to the style that the APA wants to see in their publications and this style is also used by a number of other publications that have adopted the APA Style.

Among the critical points of the APA Style is how to construct an error-free reference list crediting all sources properly and avoiding all charges of plagiarism. This has become extremely critical in today's world where any research seems subject to actively looking for any way they can discredit someone else rather than do their own work.

In addition the style book is an authoritative guide to how best to present the ideas and data that is so hard to gather. Being able to present data in a way that is understandable to the reader is perhaps the most difficult yet the most important part of writing a paper.

This book is the concise version. It is a small format book designed to be convenient, portable and yet complete.

Concise Rules of Apa Style, September 27, 2005
It was too condensed. I needed more information than the book provided.

quick reference guide, November 5, 2006
Easy to use format. Answers for most style questions. Much easier to use than the longer APA manual. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This popular book is written by the award-winning teacher, Dr. Leon Gordis of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.He introduces the basic principles and concepts of epidemiology in clear, concise writing and his inimitable style.This book provides an understanding of the key concepts in the following 3 fully updated sections:Section I: The Epidemiologic Approach to Disease and Intervention; Section II: Using Epidemiology to Identify the Causes of Disease; Section III: Applying Epidemiology to Evaluation and Policy.Clear, practical graphs and charts, cartoons, and review questions with answers reinforce the text and aid in comprehension.

• Utilizes new full-color format to enhance readability and clarity.
  
• Provides new and updated figures, references and concept examples to keep you absolutely current -new information has been added on Registration of Clinical Trials, Case-Cohort Design, Case-Crossover Design, and Sources and Impact of Uncertainty ( disease topics include: Obesity, Asthma, Thyroid Cancer, Helicobacter Pylori and gastric/duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer, Mammography for women in their forties) - expanded topics include Person-time.
  
• Includes STUDENT CONSULT access, allowing you to:
  o Access the complete contents of the book online, anywhere you go.perform quick searches.and add your own notes and bookmarks.
  o Test yourself with the additional TEST BANK including 200 MCQs, plus complete rationales for all self-assessment Q&A in the print book. .
  o Reference all other STUDENT CONSULT titles you own online, too-all in one place!

• Introduces both the underlying concepts as well as the practical uses of epidemiology in public health and in clinical practice.
  
• Systemizes learning and review with study questions in each section and an answer key and index.
  
• Illustrates textual information with clear and informative full-color illustrations, many created by the author and tested in the classroom.

Reviews

An unbelievably great textbook!, June 16, 2000
This was a required textbook for a class on epidemiology that I wasn't required to take. I am getting my Ph.D. in Science Education, but because I am Deaf and work with the deaf community on HIV/AIDS awareness...I made myself take this class. Very rarely do I not return books for cash if it isn't in my direct field or interests, but this was one textbook I plan on keeping. Dr. Gordis made a unknown subject for a deaf student not only fascinating but understandable...especially with all the statistics involved! I luckily had great teachers too, but part of their greatness had to do with finding the best textbook to require in their classroom. I refer back to this text constantly when writing about epidemics in the Deaf community. I hope that Dr. Gordis realizes the impact he will have on not just one person, but on a whole community because of his work and his excellent writing. (He also has a sense of humor, which I love...) Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

A good source for medical students and epidemiologists., September 8, 2000
This is a well written book that touches upon all basic areas of Epidemiology. A strong point of the book is its use of illustrations, they help keep the material somewhat interesting rather than bland full of text.

It goes through plenty of examples to help you memorize concepts as well as give you practice of each chapter's readings by having review questions for that chapter.

It is a good aid for medical students, epidemiologists as well as anyone involved in the related health services.

Excellent Introductory Text, October 25, 2003
When it comes to textbooks, the section I usually use most often is the index so I don't have to plod through pages of material to find the information I need. This is one of the few textbooks I've ever read cover to cover and actually enjoyed. The text is very readable with many examples to demonstrate the concepts discussed. There are also plenty of illustrations and charts to reinforce the information. Also, this isn't just one more book taking up space on my bookshelf -- I still use it as a reference to clarify questions that come up. Epidemiology is a clearly written, methodologically presented introduction to the most important concepts in the field.

Save your money - buy the third edition, August 16, 2008
I agree with most of the other reviews here and also think this is a good introductory text. If you can get past the bad jokes and frequent references to Christianity, its clearly written and has good examples. However, this 4th edition is a classic example of an author repackaging an old textbook as a new edition and trying to make money off of it. Gordis claims that the 4th edition has many changes, but in reality the chapters are the same and only a few less significant references have been updated. My advice is to save your money and buy the third edition - just as good and much cheaper.

best epi text for beginners, August 29, 2005
This is the best epi book for beginners that I have come across. It is written by one of the greatest epi-teachers. Leon Gordis has a great teaching style. The book essentially covers the topics we covered in class. I enjoyed reading this book when I was a student and now that I have students myself I recommend this text to them...they all love it. Worth the money.

The best beginning epidemiology text, June 22, 2003
This is the best beginning text on epidemiology available-- no other text comes close. The writing is clear and concise, a rare event in science texts. The style, content and layout are extraordinary. Dr. Gordis creates friendly understandable explanations from potentially confusing topics.

Easy to comprehend, fun to read and definetely a recommendat, May 31, 2002
Epidemiology by Leon Gordis is a great textbook. Having read one or two other books on this topic, I thought I got a great deal of what Epidemiology means and how it's done. Things I thought I fully understood I now do understand. The book has got many illustrations that make the text very easy to comprehend. The text itself is built up in a stepwise manner and the important issues are repeated several times. The examples given are enlightening and, sometimes, funny, too. The book isn't that much concerned with analysis methods in detail (e.g., How do regression methods work?), but it rather deals with the principles, designs and methods of epidemiology. This book definetely earns 5 stars and will remain an epedemiologic classic. Read it!

EPIDEMIOLGY (3RD ED.), March 12, 2007
This textbook is an outstanding textbook for either the graduate student in public health or a medical student.

Dr. Leon Gordis brings clarity to a subject which challenges many students. Particularly, his use of terminology unique to the field of epidemiology is well done. He does not assume the student is born understanding terminology that has varied meanings in different specialties by using the terms with their definition in full sentences. He appears to anticipate the typical student's questions and answers them without appearing to talk down to the reader. Well done!

I would recommend this textbook without any reservations.

Excellent Introductory Book, January 27, 2003
This book was required reading for an introductory course on epidemiology in a Masters of Public Health (MPH) program. It is clearly written, with a minimum of jargon. It includes numerous examples that really help illustrate the material. This is a book that I find myself pulling out again and again, even after the course has ended. Highly recommended.

Great for the basics - but know what you need before buying., November 1, 2006
The Gordis text is excellent if you are a newcomer to clinical research and want to get your feet on the ground in a hurry. Explanations of basic epidemilogic concepts (prevalence, indcidence, odds and hazard ratios, sensitivities and specificities, basic study designs and limitations) are written in an easy-to-grasp manner, and the exercises at the end of each chapter ensure you are really able to put these concepts into practice. It is a quick and easy read, and will really give you a leg-up when you begin formal coursework.

HOWEVER, if you are looking to learn about hypothesis testing, statistical tests, and how data are typically analyzed and presented at the end of clinical trials, this book will not help you. You will need a dedicated statistics book - for beginners like myself, the Douglas Altman text is a wonderful (albeit rigorous) supplement to this one. ... Read more

Editorial Review

All students and professors need to write, and many struggle to finish their stalled dissertations, journal articles, book chapters, or grant proposals. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. In this practical, light-hearted, and encouraging book, Paul J. Silvia explains that writing productively does not require innate skills or special traits but specific tactics and actions. Drawing examples from his own field of psychology, he shows readers how to overcome motivational roadblocks and become prolific without sacrificing evenings, weekends, and vacations. After describing strategies for writing productively, the author gives detailed advice from the trenches on how to write, submit, revise, and resubmit articles; how to improve writing quality; and how to write and publish academic work. ... Read more

Reviews

Hi, my name is Meg and I'm a binge writer., April 19, 2009
I picked up this book knowing that it was going to tell me to stick to a writing schedule. I thought, "Well, I'll just ignore that part and pick out the stuff I like." I really did not want to hear that in order to be productive, I would have to schedule several hours a week in order to write. I am a busy person; where on earth will I "find the time"? Long weekends and school breaks are when the writing will get done. Well, P. J. Silvia shattered that illusion into a million pieces... He made it clear that I will never complete my papers if I keep waiting for the perfect moment, because during those perfect moments I will find something else that needs to be done (e.g. catch up on sleep, call my mother, wash the laundry, etc.). Unfortunately, it is my job to write. Problem, no?

But you see, I DETEST writing. I become paralyzed by anxiety, and I dread the exhaustion that inevitably follows a bout with my computer. So, I avoid it. But Dr Silvia argues that if I wrote at a specific time, on specific days, every week--and gave myself small goals for that session (e.g. write 200 words)--there would be no anxiety. Afterall, who can't write 200 words in an hour or two? Moreover, that small task won't drain me of energy. Research would not become enjoyable, but it would lose its status as cruel and unusual punishment. It would simply become an unpleasant part of my work, comparable to having to attend boring committee meetings.

I picked up this book intending to ignore the nasty scheduling piece, and I left converted. This book shatters any illusions you may have about binge writing being the "technique" that works for you. So, if you don't want to schedule writing time, maybe you should ask yourself why--and then read this book.

Motivational, Insightful and Extremely Helpful!, December 16, 2007
This little volume carries a lot of punch; don't be confused by it's small stature. While Silvia outlines his method right from the start - Schedule Time to Write - his development of the things one needs to consider in order to be productive is wonderfully insightful.

Perhaps the most useful chapter is the second in which he lists a number of "Specious Barriers to Writing a Lot," i.e. poor excuses. It may be his background in psychology, or just his keen observational and analytical skills, but he is right on target in identifying those excuses we use time and again to prevent productive writing. His combating of these barriers is both humorous and motivating.

The only downside, and it is minor, is that he writes as if to an audience comprised solely of psychologists. Granted, he is one and the book is published by the APA, but the psychological examples can become a bit grating. That said, his book still speaks to a wide readership that can glean wonderful tips from his book. (My field is in the humanities and I found the book to be top notch!) I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a writer - especially the academics out there!

Not worth the money, October 3, 2008
This product has a handful of useful tips but its basic premise can be summed up in a few words: Make a writing schedule, stick to it, and don't make emotional or psychological excuses. That's about all the book has to say, and while the author doesn't claim to do much more, nonetheless it is not worth the money and is not the kind of book you'd want to return to again and again. In addition, its sole target audience seems to be the field of psychology, so its usefulness is even less for people in other fields.

Not a lot of advice!, July 23, 2010
Hello, my name is Renee. I am an assistant professor and a mother. I write a lot.

I inherited this book from a friend who didn't get tenure. I find books on writing valuable, because even though I write a lot, there's always something to learn from others who write a lot.

This book was interesting and easy to read. It was funny, and I share the author's interest in mid-century furniture (although I am not sure it is relevant to writing!). I would recommend it to people who want to read a useful text on writing productively.

However, I am giving this text only three stars because the advice is rather thin, and I do not necessarily agree with two of the author's major suggestions/ideas.

First is the central premise of this book - the author's assertion that the only way to write a lot is to set a schedule and stick to it (p. 17). Setting a schedule and sticking to it is a great way to write a lot. Many people, especially professors, use it successfully. It is well worth trying, and the book explores this very useful technique. However, it is not the only way to write a lot.

Here are some other methods that work for productive writers who do not always write on a schedule.

1. Set a daily wordcount goal. Steven King does this. His daily wordcount goal is 2000 words a day. For an academic, this is an insane goal. Academic writing is moving much slower. A realistic goal for me is between 250-500 words a day, i.e. between one to two pages a day. Get your writing goal out of the way as soon as you can - do not postpone this till the evening. You can grade student papers in the evening, as it takes so much less brainpower.
If you are editing rather than writing, set a page goal instead of a wordcount goal.

2. Grab a kitchen timer and set it for 15 mins. Everyone can write for just 15 mins (in fact, there is a book about it, and it should be available on Amazon). It doesn't matter WHEN you do this, only that you do this. Do at least one session a day. Two, three are better; but do not binge-write (Silvia warns against this, and he is right). In general, setting small daily goals works.

3. Find some buddies and set up a mutual accountability system. Just a short daily email with "I wrote!" is a great motivator. It is easier to do things together than alone. One version of the mutual accountability system is to chat-write together. You get together in a chat (such as google chat) with your buddies and you agree on a chunk of time. After this time you report to each other, and if you have juice left, do this again. Academics I write with usually do 15-20min chunks. Creative writers I write with go for 30 mins as a rule.

Do I write on schedule? Sometimes, but often it is unrealistic for a busy mother like me, who has a child with autism. Some days it is impossible to find 2-hr chunks of time in my day. It is, however, possible to find 15-minute chunks, 30-minute chunks. If you pre-plan and break your tasks into small units, you'd be amazed how much can be accomplished.

My second big quib with the author is his repeating statement, e.g. on p. 130: "writing is hard and will always be hard; writing is unpleasant and will always be unpleasant". I think this is a statement that is both harmful and untrue.

The more you write, the easier it gets. It's like exercise. The more you do it, the stronger your writing muscles become, the easier it is to "work out". Every journal acceptance or a good R&R will make writing even easier for you, because you will see that your effort brings results.

Second, telling yourself that writing is unpleasant and will always be unpleasant is harmful and will, I believe, make you write less, rather than more. Who wants to spend 2hrs every day doing something they hate? Even 15 minutess become painful. Writing might hurt now, but if there is no HOPE of it ever becoming pleasant, why bother at all? I was surprised to read this from a psychologist, since psychologists know very well that as humans we tend to spend more time on tasks that engage our interest and are pleasurable, rather than on painful tasks.

And here we come back to my friends, the creative writers. I often write with my creative writer buddies because they are more often available to chat-write and to talk about wriitng. In fact, I can find somebody to write with almost every time I have 15-20 mins to write. Why is that? The answer is simple. Creative writers love writing, want to write, cannot wait to start writing. It's fun. It can be really painful, and frustrating, but you do it because you love it. And even if you are suffering now, you remember why you are doing it/m . You tell yourself this every day, and you believe it. Most creative writers start out as rather lousy writers - it often takes years to get to publication, but they persevere because of love.

Over the years I have developed this habit as well. In 2002, when I grabbed my first book on writing, writing was excruciating, painful, almost impossible. In 2010, writing is still at times painful, but it's fun. I want to do it. It's awesome.

And that's my secret to writing a lot.

409 words/day over the last 28 days, May 10, 2007
All of my grad student friends went to a talk by Dr. Silvia during a recent conference. I decided to go to a different talk on some boring topic I don't remember anymore. Everyone came back raving about what a good talk it was and how helpful the advice seemed. So I decided to buy this book because I didn't want to be left out of the conversation.

Over the last month, I followed the advice in this book and tripled my average writing output even though I had a master's thesis to defend and was teaching my first class. I owe 3908 words in my thesis and 11452 words overall to the method in this book. I think I owe a piece of my sanity to it as well.

An Absolute Necessity, June 24, 2008
This is the best investment a graduate student or academic can make. While other books may encourage some of the same behaviors prescribed by Paul Silvia, *no* other how-to guide so brutally, convincingly, and entertainingly demolishes the excuses that you tell yourself when you're procrastinating. Other how-to's merely give advice, while this book positively demands productivity from you.

1500 words per day, June 6, 2008
I read this book in early May. On May 7, I began writing my dissertation proposal. On June 6 (today), I turned it in; it is 106 pages (including several figures and tables) and contains over 25,000 words.

On the days I wrote, I averaged over 1500 words per day. On the days I didn't write, I still had Writing Hours, and worked on the figures, tables, references, etc. Without this book, I would not have had Writing Hours and I would not have written as high quality a prospectus as I did.

Contributing to the quality of my prospectus is the section in this book that includes grammatical information. This section is critical. You want to write a lot of good words, not just a lot of words.

If you know someone who likes things, this book would make a great gift.

most important book on writing in my career, April 6, 2008
The fluid writing and simple, invaluable ideas in this book will transform you into a more productive writer. Before reading his book, I would write when I felt like it and it would often be huge writing binges (8-10 hours straight for 3 consecutive days) and then days of nothingness. Also, I would never start writing unless I knew I had a few hours to get into a rhythm.

As soon as I followed Silvia's guidelines, I began averaging over 500 words per day and it has led to an enormous output in my career. I refer this book to all of my undergraduate and graduate students and they are seeing similar gains in output.

You cannot criticize the ideas in this book without implementing them. It works and that's all that matters. Since I won't do the ideas justice with a brief summary, I encourage anyone who is serious about writing to buy this ridiculously cheap book, create the spreadsheet and time blocks that Silvia talks about, and start cranking. You only need to go to Silvia's website to realize that he lives what he preaches and is one of the most productive young scientists in psychology.

Author of Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life

Perfect. Absolutely Perfect., February 9, 2007
I take great pleasure in being the first person to review this gem. I am not feeling particularly eloquent; my words will not do justice to this fine book, but I am not going to let that stop me from suggesting that if you are having any problems getting pen to paper, fingers to keys, or butt to seat, this book is for you. Dr. Silvia presents scientifically sound AND entertaining, engaging information. It is a quick read, which is good. You have to write after all. Speaking of which, I'd better get to it! This book is super. TOC: Specious Barriers to Writing a Lot, Motivational Tools, A Brief Foray Into Style, Writing Journal Articles, Writing Books, and a couple more. This book is published by the American Psychological Association, which tells you a lot about the quality. It is part of their LifeTools imprint. Dr. Silvia is a very talented young man, obviously a talented writer, and a darned good psychologist, too, I bet! The book is targeted for those interested in "productive academic writing," but I think it is perfect for anyone interested in productive writing of any type. Okay, now back to my writing.

An easy, helpful read, June 21, 2007
This book is the perfect length, so you'll actually get through it. The chapters are focused, and the topics covered are relevant and useful. I've really enjoyed reading it.

Silvia's style is funny without trying too hard, which makes a short book go even faster. My favorite chapters... Chapter 2 (on specious barriers to writing a lot) will motivate you and get you to finally give writing a place in your schedule. Chapter 3 (Motivational tools) presents time-tested goal-setting tips that will help you start writing and keep going. Chapter 5 (a brief foray into style) gives you just enough tips on style and improving your writing that you might actually take some of his advice.

I'm in a PhD program in psychology, so his advice to students and professors (which comes from his experience in psychology) seems really helpful and relevant, but I wonder if the tips in chapters 6 and 7 (on writing journal articles and books, respectively) would be less helpful to people from very different fields. Anyone would benefit just from reading chapters 1-5, though, so I still whole-heartedly recommend it.
... Read more

Editorial Review

When it comes to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and depression, everything you believe is a lie.

Lights Out

With research gleaned from the National Institutes of Health, T.S. Wiley and Bent Formby deliver staggering findings: Americans really are sick from being tired. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and depression are rising in our population. We're literally dying for a good night's sleep.

Our lifestyle wasn't always this way. It began with the invention of the lightbulb.

When we don't get enough sleep in sync with seasonal light exposure, we fundamentally alter a balance of nature that has been programmed into our physiology since Day One. This delicate biological rhythm rules the hormones and neurotransmitters that determine appetite, fertility, and mental and physical health. When we rely on artificial light to extend our day until 11 PM, midnight, and beyond, we fool our bodies into living in a perpetual state of summer. Anticipating the scarce food supply and forced inactivity of winter, our bodies begin storing fat and slowing metabolism to sustain us through the months of hibernation and hunger that never arrive.

Our own survival instinct, honed over millennia, is now killing us.

Wiley and Formby also reveal:

Editorial Review

This user-friendly training guide includes groups of instructional exercises and practice tests on various aspects and features of the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, including electronic references and citations, grammar, headings, seriation, statistical and mathematical copy, italics and capitalization, numbers style, and table formatting. The exercises and tests require students to apply APA Style to prove that they can use it accurately in term papers and research reports.

This workbook is a self-pacing, self-teaching workbook that can be used to learn APA Style quickly and effectively. Intended for students of psychology or related disciplines as well as other professions that use APA Style, Mastering APA Style: Student's Workbook and Training Guide is an effective learning tool for the classroom or independent study. ... Read more

Reviews

Mastering APA Style., May 20, 2010
The book was good but not great. Amazon did a great job of delivering the material, but the book wasn't what I though it would be. I am currently in my third graduate program. I like most of the student I know would like a book that is easy to navigate and find answers in. Both the mastering style and the APA 6th edition leave a lot to be desired.

Mastering APA style workbook, November 4, 2009
I really wanted some help with APA. While this workbook would be beneficial if I had a lot of extra time on my hands to actually go through it, it did not help me very much at all.

Great for me., January 7, 2010
I'm an instructor and needed exam questions, so this book is perfect for this. I don't think it is as good for learning APA but probably would be good to use along with the manual.

Mastering APA Style, November 7, 2010
This is a good book. It arrived promtly and was in perfect shape. I think this book can help anyone with APA style issues.
The copmany I ordered it from did a great job of packaging it so it arrived in perfect condition.

Excellent!, February 18, 2010
Mastering APA Style: Student's Workbook and Training Guide is a must have tool for all psychology professionals. I rate this book as being Excellent!

Good Resource, September 28, 2009
this is a great resource for anyone exploring their master's or needing guidance in the literature writing area.

title, September 24, 2009
worked for me took a litter longer than expected but i got it before school started so its all good

I ordered wrong book, December 7, 2009
Through my own error, I need to exchange it for the other APA book....I ordered the wrong one.
How do I go about doing this? The box only contained the book, no receipts or anything. How can I get the right one ... Read more

Editorial Review

Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, 3/e provides the foundations that are necessary for finding and interpreting research evidence�across all�healthcare professions.�This book has been revised to reflect the most current changes in�the field of�clinical research in rehabilitation and medicine, including the growing emphasis on evidence-based practice (EBP) that has become central to all of health care�and the new vocabulary that is being integrated into research and practice across disciplines. There is also a new chapter on systematic reviews and meta-analysis as well as expanded content related to clinical decision making, including likelihood ratios, pretest and posttest probabilities, minimally important change and number needed to treat. ... Read more

Reviews

Outstanding clarity and comprehensiveness, May 9, 2000
This book can hardly be recommended enough to both beginning and advanced researchers. It provides an extraordinary breadth and depth of information about research methodology, implementation and statistical analysis. It is written in a clear straightforward style that makes arcane topics understanble without oversimplification. Congratulations to the authors on a difficult job well done!

User-friendly and well-organized, June 28, 2005
This is a book that I have used often through my graduate career. It served as a great textbook for a course I was taking and as supplementary material for other other courses on Statistics, Design and Research Methods.

Well-organized and easy-to-read, it has become my first line-of-defense for all things related to research design. It covers the material in adequate detail so you have a good jumping off point in case you need to grab your SAS manual or your Stats text.

Practical, and clearly written, November 5, 2006
Although I have used this text as a reference (vs. reading it all the way through, or for a class) I have found myself returning to it often. In fact, I purchased it only because I had started to wear out the copy I had borrowed from a friend...and she was missing it because she used it frequently, too. The best aspect of this text is the way the authors use examples relevant to clinical research for nearly every statistical decision. No more extrapolating from educational research, medical research...I don't usually have that much imagination! Good book.

Excellent Research Handbook, May 28, 2010
I have to say this book is excellent. I have bought a few books to upskill me on statistics and research methods but this book is the best book (of any type) I have read in a long time. It explains everything really well. I am doing a PhD is genetics and so require heaps of stats etc and it's great. Would recommend to anyone wanting a good research reference for statistics and clinical research methods.

Foundations of Clinical Research, April 22, 2010
We had looked at previous versions and were glad to see that it had been updated. It has been an excellent source for the medical students, residents, fellows and some research nurses at our facility. We have been having a series of seminars on how to get research projects started.

Tons of Information, February 14, 2010
This text has tons of information and is great to read before lecture because it is more thorough and has lots of examples. It is lengthy and a slow read, but worth the time.

Great Book, August 30, 2009
This is one of the few books that really goes into the foundations of clinical research. I use it very regularly as a basic reference for my undergrad statistics class. The book starts with the basis of research which is logic and thinking. I have seen very few research books that start with this type of an introduction to research and just that in my opinion makes it a great book to start, especially if somebody is being introduced to the subject for the first time.

This is an incredible book, July 5, 2004
This book is just incredibly good!!! It combined details with cool simplicity. A must have for researchers. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This useful handbook introduces nurses and other health care professionals to the most current application of computer-related technology in the health care environment.� Included are the various forms of electronic communication and ways to use it more effectively. New coverage of web-based technology, search tools, and evaluation criteria for online material are presented along with regulatory and accreditation requirements, such as HIPAA. Completely updated, the fourth edition offers a clearly written overview of informatics, as well as practical applications of computer-based education for day-to-day use.

Reviews

Handbook of Informatics for Nurses and other Healthcare Prof, July 18, 2000
I am currently studying Nursing Informatics in a Master's Certification Course. I loved this book! It was user friendly and covered a variety of topics. It was very easy to read and understand. Since this is a new specialty in Nursing, most of us are starting at ground zero. This is a great place to start!

For non-Informatics Professionals, August 8, 2005
This is a very good book for an introductory course in Nursing Informatics. If you are already a nurse informaticist, you will find little new here, however.

It is a required text., December 23, 2009
I bought the book because it is required for a class I am taking. It goes over basic computer information and goes into how to decide what system will work for your situation and how to train folks etc.
It is not leisure reading, but a good resource book. I;m only half way through it and I have not started the class yet. (I read ahead).

Okay book, October 17, 2007
I would recommend reading this on top of other nursing informatics books out there. Unfortunately for some beginners like myself (with no qualification) it's not very engaging and find it slightly too 'geeky' for me to understand. I would use it for quick reference but not something you use to study upon.

Repetitive, April 5, 2010
This was required reading for a doctoral course. I have an interest in informatics; nevertheless, I found the book repetitive and uninteresting. Almost every chapter waxes on about the merits of forming committees to investigate choices, involving the end-point users etc. This only needs to be said once, not in every single chapter. The book could be a 1/3d of its size without all the repetition. There are better, more concise books on the topic, I'm sure.

Nursing Informatics REview, June 13, 2010
Perfect book for Review for certification in nursing informatics.
It does not cover everything, you will need supplemental books also.
Covers alot!

Perfect, May 15, 2010
Great item, as described. Quick shipping. This book is great. It is easy to read and follow and offers up-to-date information related to the real world of informatics.

Decent job., June 8, 2010
The product was great. The book took awhile to get to me. I contacted the seller who pointed me to the "rules of shipping" and "the shipping method that I chose" and said that it may take awhile to get to me. The other books I purchased (from other sellers) shipped next day under the same rules and I received them within 2 days. I am not sure if my order was misplaced and corrected when I contacted the seller wondering where my book was, or if it just took that long and was within shipping parameters. Over all the product was of good quality and as described so I wanted to leave positive feedback. I probably will not buy from this seller again on short notice, but I would if I had a month to get the book, or was willing to pay for faster shipping. The seller did respond to my communications in a timely and professional manner.

Informatics, August 12, 2009
Did not use this book much, did not enjoy the class much. This book will help write better papers. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The essential guide for all writers. With over 700 examples of original and edited sentences, this book provides information about editing techniques, grammar, and usage for every writer from the student to the published author. ... Read more

Reviews

This book changed my life!, July 18, 1998
In 1985 I was a consultant and had to write a report on my findings for a client. I knew that my writing was not all that good, and since I was being paid a considerable sum to write the report I felt it should be written well.

Just at that time an ad in the New Yorker magazine caught my eye. It showed two columns side by side, one, the length of the page, the other, a quarter of the page. I read the ad and sure enough the first column was just like my writing, the second was crisp, to the point, and much more interesting to read. The headline said something to the effect of "how to take the first and turn it into the second".

I ordered the book and read it immediately. The first three chapters excited me so, I could hardly contain myself. It explained so clearly how I had to think about what I was writing, I felt I saw the light.

From that day on I took a whole different view of writing. It turned a task that I usually dreaded into something that I no! w love. Not that I am a great writer, but I feel confident that I can express myself well in my business and personal life. I feel that what I write is clear and easy to read. This has been very valuable to me as a businessman. I have written marketing material, technical manuals, company communications, and customer letters. Without this skill I know I would not have been nearly as successful and would have missed out on a great pleasure in life.

Well, I gave the book to my daughter when she went to college and I lost touch with it. A few years ago I wanted to locate it again but didn't know the title or author. The other day I suddenly got the idea that Amazon.com might help me find it. All I remembered was the year I saw the ad for the book and that a woman wrote it.

So I started to search and in less than 3 minutes I thought I had found it. I ordered it and sure enough it was Line by Line. When I got it in the mail I was so excited, I felt I had met up with a long los! t friend. I just ordered several more copies that I will sh! are with my staff because writing is one of the most important skills needed in today's business environment.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to make writing a part of his or her everyday life. It is wonderful!

By the way, I was proud of the report I wrote and the customer loved it too.

And thanks Amazon.com, you found a long lost friend of mine.

If you write, you should read this book., May 11, 2001
This book is fantastic. It's only about 200 pages, but densely packed with useful information, and every single page deserves careful study. The glossary of commonly confused words at the end is worth 10$ all by itself.

This is not a grammar book (though there is an appendix that gives an overview of English grammar). It is a book designed to improve your writing. It helps you make solid decisions about sentence structure, placing punctuation, and choosing the right words. This book can help guide you through some of the thorniest and most subjective aspects of writing English.

One of the neatest things about this book is that, in addition to the copious examples, the text itself serves as an example of excellent writing. Perhaps the major drawback is that after reading this book, you will end up being much more critical of the writing you encounter!

A Great Book Has Always Been Greatly Revised, September 26, 2005
As the saying goes, "It's all in the revision." Or, there are no great first drafts. The true masters know that first drafts are terrible, second drafts are slightly better, and in the ninth or twelfth or twentieth draft, after sentences have been improved "Line by Line," mellifluous, deft prose reveals clearly what the author means to say. The meaning of too much writing is bogged down and obscured by under-par line editing. I once had the opportunity to work with an editor who had been at Henry Holt for many years, and when we sat down to go over my manuscript, she recommended this particular book. It has been at my bedside, along with the Bible and Whitman's "Leaves of Grass," ever since. The product of her years as a copy editor for the Modern Language Association (every writer should also own the MLA Handbook) Claire Cook's "Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing," is not for the faint-hearted, nor is it for those who have yet to memorize "the little book" by Strunk and White. Even an English major and MFA holder who has written for newspapers, magazines, and literary journals will benefit greatly, and improve his or her chances of publication, by "eliminating the stylistic faults that most often impede reading and obscure meaning." A straightforward, five-chapter sequence addresses overwritten sentences, bad transitions, "mismanaged" references, problems with punctuation (at the advanced level), and other mistakes that doom writing, whether you're attempting to fine-tune a newsletter, a scholarly paper, a business proposal, or a short story. I have seen many, many books on improving one's writing, and this is, as the Holt editor indicated, as necessary a writing manual as Strunk and White's, and one that will elevate you from competent amateur to master prose stylist. (also recommended for the serious writer at any level: "The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile," by Noah Lukeman).

You've got to buy this book!, June 10, 2007
Superb! I am a programmer by day and a writer of articles on programming at other times.

Growing up in England I was taught every miniscule detail of the English language. How to construct sentences and how pronunciation changes depending on word stems, Country of origin and so on. I had a pretty good grasp on writing. At work I spend some of my time re-writing briefing notes, user manuals, and proof-reading emails.

On top of this I study grammar and style manuals. You get a feel for where I'm coming from in terms of expertise.

This book changed my entire outlook on writing. I am only up to page 26 and already I have hacked through some articles like a whipper-snipper through a weeded garden. I found some habitual mistakes I constantly make and curbed some emerging ones. This is a fantastic book!

The last briefing note I edited started as a monstrosity of bad grammar and ended as a shining example of what this book has to offer.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It is only 200 pages but not a word is wasted. It is concise and packed full of information and is an example of its own subject.

Essential guide to revising one's own writing, September 19, 1997
Absolutely fabulous work designed to help you edit your own writing. It's that perspective that distinguishes Line by Line from anything else. What should you look for in revising your sentences. What is good grammatical structure, proper punctuation, etc. The book should achieve the status of a classic -- it is that good

Line by Line, June 2, 2006
Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing is a classic, and with good reason. If you like words like "gerund" and "prepositional phrase," Line by Line has a lot to offer. Specific instructions on how to tell if a sentence is wordy, for instance, even if you don't have an "ear" for it, include such factors as the ratio of nouns to active verbs, and how many prepositional phrases are used.
Examples throughout the book soften, but do not eliminate, the academic style. If you prefer something in plain English, read the excellent Woe Is I, by Patricia T. O'Conner. If you want a serious study-guide for improving your writing, Line by Line is a great choice.

Excellent, but...., August 8, 2001
I think my Four Stars are misleading. It is worth Five, if you account for the price and market of the book.

"Line by Line : How to Improve Your Own Writing" provides solid information on editing your own writing and therefore, improving your writing for professionals needs, but it doesn't meet my needs as a communications professional. Writers, in general, will find this a worthy tome, but as a professional copy editing my coworkers and clients I think you'll find this a bit limited in scope.

For the price, "Line by Line : How to Improve Your Own Writing" can't be beat, but I recommend spending a few more dollars on a more thorough text. Check out, instead, an Associated Press Manual of Style and far more meatier text, like "Copy Editing For Professionals" by Rooney and Witte. You'll pay many times more the price, but in the long haul, you'll be glad you did.

I recommend "Line by Line : How to Improve Your Own Writing" but with reservations.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

My favorite book on editing., July 13, 1998
As an editor, I have shelves of books on the subject. This book remains my favorite. Once you get bored with editing books that read like a high school grammer, check this book out. It brings you to a more refined level of editing.

Excellent help for aspiring writers, June 25, 2007
I'm a working writer who has found this book very helpful. An original hardbound edition holds an honored place in my library.

If you want to improve your own writing, then this is the book for you. You would likely only need one of the copy editing books recommended by other reviewers if you are (or want to become) a working copy editor.

Completely demystifies the process of self-editing, September 3, 2007
Based upon the Modern Language Association guidelines, Claire Kehrwald Cooks' instructive 'how to' manual for aspiring authors, "Line By Line: How To Edit Your Own Writing" completely demystifies the process of self-editing, a vital aspect of honing, polishing, and otherwise preparing a manuscript for publication. All the relevant issues are addressed including basic grammar; pruning unnecessary words and phrases; balancing related sentence elements; making subjects and verbs agree; using pronouns accurately; the correct usage of punctuation marks; and avoiding the 'questionable usage' of words and phrases. A welcome and core addition to personal and professional writing reference collections, "Line By Line" is especially recommended reading for aspiring writers, published professionals, business managers and government officials needing to communicate with clarity, advertising and public relations professionals, scholars and students, as well as technical and science writers. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Becker gets you going, January 22, 2002
Starting Chapter 1 of my dissertation proposal scared the living daylights out of me. Where to start? How much do I need to research and read before I actually start writing? And then there is the never-ending "Here's just one more article/book/website I need to read/investigate before I can even start *thinking* about writing" refrain...

Becker, in a very straight-forward and humorous manner, gets you going. He lets you know the absolute fear you are feeling is perfectly normal and that the first draft is just that - a first draft. It doesn't have to be perfect; in fact it *shouldn't* be perfect. After reading this book, I simply sat down and started writing. I didn't worry about punctuation or sentence structure, I just wrote. Some of it ended up in the trash, but much of what I wrote on the first go-around was molded into some very good work.

Thanks to Howard Becker I think I might actual graduate!

Becker is a master, December 8, 1998
I discovered this book in a methodology class for social scientists when our teacher demanded that we read it. The great thing about Becker is that what he writes is real life in its most intriguing details. This book won't teach you how to write but will teach you how to WORK. I recommend you read it, sociologist, anthropologist, political scientist, psycologist or whatever you are in the social sciences.

The book is helpful, August 21, 2003
Having read a bunch of books on the topic of doing your thesis, I was a bit desperate since none of them seemed to offer really practical advices on how to tackle the problem of starting to write. I got lost in "how to read and write a literature review" and "how to talk to your committee members", and only when I start reading Becker's book I found this seemingly crazy but increadibly fine advice: sit down and write - just about everything that comes into your mind. If you get stuck, put it down. Your first draft will be much of a weird writing, but only through materializing it you will be able to make further steps forward. I've read this book in less than two days and have brightened my view of this huge task in front of me. The only redundant thing is the chapter on using the computer, since it became a usual stuff since this book was published. Everything else is a true confidence booster!

A must have!, April 29, 2000
Everyone of us, to include social scientists, have flaws. While reading this book, it is common to see yourself in some of Becker's examples - the relief comes when Becker explains how you can work through your faults and get to what is important - finishing your project.

I did not find out about this book until after I started on my Master's Program. I wish this was made required reading when I was an undergrad, it would have helped me out greatly.

This book should be on every college students' bookshelf, no matter what field they are in.

Valuable, September 13, 2004
Writing for Social Scientists is written primarily for individuals who wants to hone their writing skills.
Howard Becker's primary intent is to desmitify and remove the fear of writing.

Becker explores the fear of the black page and suggests techniques for getting started. He advocates for simple, direct language, avoiding the curse of "one right way", and challenges stodgy academic writing. He offers insights for solving writing problems based on his 35 years of experience as a researcher, writer and teacher.

Becker succeeds in making the reader more comfortable with the writing process. However, he leaves writers with the dilemma of writing for the target audience, writing for the "ear", or standards of taste, or to compromise.

The reader will find his perspective valuable and useful fro the writing process. Lastly, the book is well written and highly readable. (Class PAPA 6014)

Good, but the second edition has few changes, January 21, 2008
I bought the first edition of this book about 20 years ago and found it very helpful. I long ago misplaced my copy and so was happy to order the new second edition. On reading the book again, I found Becker's advice to be as good as I remembered, but I was disappointed that he had made so few changes in the "second edition." Essentially, the first edition has been reprinted verbatim--even typos weren't corrected--with a relatively few pages of additional material added to the last two chapters. Chapter 9 now contains Becker's general thoughts on recent software that he considers useful to writers. This discussion would have been more helpful if he had been willing to mention specific programs. I guess he decided not to either to avoid giving free advertising or to avoid dating the discussion. The last chapter gives some interesting, if brief, observations on the place of writing in modern academic life.

In short, if you already have the first edition, there's not much point in buying the second edition. If, on the other hand, you haven't encountered this book before and you would like some useful tips on academic writing, it's well worth the price.

a quick yet comprehensive read, March 22, 2006
I actually purchased the book for the person I share an office with. He is currently working on his dissertation and kind of at a stand still on page 5. After reading the book, within two weeks he was on page 50 and continues to progress ahead. He really liked the book and has recommended it to several other people. The book helped him focus less on making sure everything he was writing was perfect and more on trying to get a first draft done. While the book assisted him with this, it will probably not be helpful once the draft is done.

To the Point, Easy Language, October 25, 2005
The author provided a guide to assist the social scientist in writing clear, concise articles, books, etc. Tips for revising/editing were helpful, as were the suggestions for overcoming procrastination, and finding critical colleagues to assist in the process. The tips, I think, were helpful; however, as the author points out, many scientific journals are not interested in articles that are clear and concise.

Well done!, September 19, 2000
Becker's pragmatic approach has brought the fear of editing, the risks of perception by others who will read the paper, and the search for the One Right Way of writing into the open. He didn't just stop there. He shows the reader how to overcome these obstacles and get the job done.

The thought I have after reading the book is: "Everything else is useless if you don't get your point across."

I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about scholarly writing.

Great Author, Great Work, December 7, 2008
Howard Becker is indispensable to any student of the social sciences. This book, which provides insight into how to work efficiently as a scholar in the discipline, is an excellent resource. Read it while you're writing so you don't lose sight of the goal of finishing your work. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Dissertations and Theses From Start to Finish provides the nuts and bolts needed to put together a thesis and a dissertation. This publication helps graduate students in psychology and related fields plan the thesis and dissertation process from beginning to end. It is designed for students to apply what they have already learned in graduate school to the practical conduct of research. ... Read more

Reviews

A friendly and well-written book, January 7, 1999
This book made the entire dissertation and thesis writing process clear and easy to follow. It is well laid out, allowing the reader to construct their ideas in a logical sequence, with one segment adding on to the next. I also enjoyed the honest observations made by the authors, and this aspect gave me much needed insight as to how to approach faculty and professors about my dissertation and thesis without becoming a burden upon their time and resources. It's also a wonderful general guide for people interested in how to plan, execute, and complete any scientific research. I would highly recommend this book to any student who needs to strengthen their knowledge base about the thesis and dissertation writing process.

A comprehensive step-by-step guide., May 26, 1999
As someone who works privately with students, helping them with dissertations and theses, I highly recommend this book. My doctorate is in Education, and I wish that this book had been available when I was doing my dissertation. Now, when students call me in regard to assistance with their dissertation or thesis, I recommend that they buy this book and use it as an ongoing reference. As the title states, this book takes students through every step of the dissertation or thesis process, from proposal to completion. It is one of the most comprehensive guides that I have come across in recent years.

For those considering PhD process, June 11, 2001
A book for the student considering doctoral degree and who does not understand the process. Not very helpful for those who are understand process but would like an indepth reference showing the differences between abstracts, conclusions, etc.; qualitative vs. quantitative research papers. Also, updates from authors such as Huth would be more helpful, as well as from Journal editors.

Excellent!, September 21, 1999
For a current graduate student, this book is a easy to follow necessity for someone who is involved in a dissertation! The chapters contain step by step guide that has made the dissertation process more managable and even FUN!

A great motivational text, August 12, 2003
I read this before beginning my own dissertation, and have recommended it to many others. The primary value I got from it was as a motivator to get started - often one of the most difficult steps in writing a dissertation. The information contained in this book will not replace a good mentor, but can be a supplement to a mediocre one.

Virtually Worthless for Intended Audience, June 16, 2000
If you know absolutely nothing about how to conduct and analyze empirical research, then you have found the perfect book. The only problem is this--if you know so little, you also have no business writing a doctoral dissertation, which means this book isn't for you.

Some of the authors' mind-blowing advice: "Develop scientific hypotheses," "Plan for the unexpected," "operationalize your variables," "summarize your findings."

For undergraduate psychology majors, this book provides a helpful introduction to the basics of research. But this is absolutely NOT the book to write a clear, compelling, innovative dissertation.

Dissertations from Start to Finish: Psychology and Related Fields, March 8, 2007
This book is an excellent guide for planning, preparing, and writing a thesis or dissertation. I am a dean of a small college and we use it as a required textbook for all our doctoral candidates.

A good guide, March 23, 2003
This is great for some helpful overall tips and such. It WILL NOT tell you anything that a good adviser/mentor doesn't already know!

Dissertation Relieve, August 18, 2008
As I enter the unknown world of writing my doctoral dissertation, I have found much comfort in this book. The book is not a tutorial on how to write your dissertation or thesis, rather it is a book on how to arrange your daily life as well as to alleviate any myths you may have about the process. The book has alot of good tips and checklists to help you ensure you are on the right path and you know what to expect.

Dissertation Assistance, July 1, 2008
This book is written in a personal format that pulls the reader in as being personally coached by two professors. While there may be dissertaions for dummy's, doctoral students are not dummy's and should use this book to assist with the doctoral journey. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

A very user friendly approach to understanding statistics., January 3, 1999
An excellent beginning reference book for anyone in need of understanding or interpreting univariate and multivariate statistics. Geared toward health care research, with many examples. A data set is provided with the book for students to use with different analyses. Reading audience is upper division undergraduate or graduate student.

Statistical Methods for Health Care Research, May 31, 2003
A very well-written and helpful statistics book. It was required reading for a course in Quantitative Nursing Research last semester. Overall, the concepts such as t-tests, correlation and regression were explained in relatively simple terms. Examples with answers were found at the end of each chapter and the book came with a data disk. This was the most user-friendly statistics book that I have used so far!

Statistics, March 26, 2007
This book is written for PhD level students. It is not an easy read, even for someone who has had statistics before. I would not recommend this text to anyone except experienced statistics students.

Disk a DUD..., July 16, 2010
I'm three chapters into this book and things are explained reasonably well although it is kind of dry like a pharmacology textbook. The thing I'm not happy about is the disk. It is a DUD unless you have a special program for running it (SPSS or other compatable program). Oh well, at least I only need it for the next 9 weeks of class.

Excellent condition... looks brand new., February 6, 2009
It's a text book. Who would read this stuff if they weren't forced to? Well, perhaps I should not ask that question... Have not had an assignment out of it as of yet, but sure I will somehow manage to endure the agony of every minute I am forced to read it.
Ok, something positive... It comes with a CD, although it SHOULD be a CD of calming, relaxing music, or even head banging metal would be nice, but I'm sure it is not. Haven't tried that either. Why torture the computer? oh... the cover looks nice. :)

PURCHASE REVIEW, March 30, 2010
THE PRODUCT WAS AS DESCRIBED IN THE ADD AND QUALITY WAS EXCELLENT, SHIPPING WAS DELAYED IT TOOK WEEKS TO GET THE PURCHASE, UNSURE OF WHY IT TOOK SO LONG, EMAILED SELLER ABOUT THE DELAY AND SELLER WAS TIMELY WITH COMMUNICATION ... Read more

Editorial Review

The fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style is the most extensive revision in twenty years. The Manual--more comprehensive and easier to use than ever before--remains the essential reference for authors, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers in any field.

Those who work with words know how dramatically publishing has changed in the past decade, with technology now informing and influencing every stage of the writing and publishing process. In creating the fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, the renowned editorial staff of the University of Chicago Press drew on direct experience of these changes, as well as on the recommendations of the Manual's first-ever advisory board, composed of a distinguished group of scholars, authors, and professionals from a wide range of publishing and business environments.

Every aspect of coverage has been examined and brought up to date--from publishing formats to editorial style and method, from documentation of electronic sources to book design and production, and everything in between. In addition to books, The Chicago Manual of Style now also treats journals and electronic publications. All chapters are written for the electronic age, with advice on how to prepare and edit manuscripts online, handle copyright and permissions issues raised by new technologies, use the latest methods of preparing mathematical copy, and cite electronic and online sources.

A new chapter covers American English grammar and usage, outlining the grammatical structure of English, showing how to put words and phrases together to achieve clarity, and identifying common errors. The two chapters on documentation have been reorganized and updated: the first now describes the two main systems preferred by Chicago, and the second discusses specific types of sources and subject matter, with examples tailored to both systems. Coverage of design and manufacturing has been streamlined to reflect what writers and editors need to know about current procedures. And, to make it easier to search for information, each numbered paragraph throughout the Manual is now introduced by a descriptive heading.

What would become The Chicago Manual of Style began in the 1890s as a single sheet of typographic fundamentals, prepared by a proofreader at the University of Chicago Press as a guide for the University community. That sheet grew into a pamphlet, and the pamphlet grew into a book--the first edition of the Manual of Style, published in 1906. Nearly a century later the Manual is in use in homes and offices around the world.

Clear, concise, and replete with commonsense advice, the fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style offers the wisdom of a hundred years of editorial practice while including a wealth of new topics and updated perspectives. For anyone who works with words, in any medium, this continues to be the one reference book you simply must have.

What’s New in the Fifteenth Edition of The Chicago Manual of Style:

* Updated material throughout to reflect current style, technology, and professional practice

* New coverage of journals and electronic publications

* Comprehensive new chapter on American English grammar and usage by Bryan A. Garner (author of A Dictionary of Modern American Usage)

* Updated and rewritten chapter on preparing mathematical copy

* Reorganized and updated chapters on documentation, including guidance on citing electronic sources

* Streamlined coverage of current design and production processes, with a glossary of key terms

* New diagrams of the editing and production processes for both books and journals, keyed to chapter discussions

* Descriptive headings on all numbered paragraphs for ease of reference

* Companion website at Chicagomanualofstyle.org ... Read more

Reviews

Still a classic, July 25, 2003
The Chicago Manual of Style has always been a steady companion. It discusses every imaginable style question to the point of exhaustion and speaks with the authority of the nation's largest academic press and the country's most academically serious university. The University of Chicago Press is not burdened by the scholarly dubiousness that plagues the MLA, which happens to publish a competing style guide.

This edition of the Manual of Style includes a number of improvements and additions. The Chicago manual has finally spoken on citing electronic publications, and even includes advice on assembling manuscripts for electronic journals. Flow charts in the back give broad overviews of the publishing process. The index seems easier to use than the index in the last edition, and the chapters are arranged more thoughtfully. Most striking upon first picking up the 15th edition is its stunning graphic design--not only is it beautiful, but it helps readability by highlighting examples and making sections easier to find. The manual includes some information on editing foreign-language publications. As always, the manual includes some very subtle humor in its sentence structure, verbiage, and choice of examples.

The Chicago Manual of Style is also equiped to be an arbiter of many a college dining hall argument on language, with extensive chapters on grammar and usage.

I heartily recommend the Chicago Manual of Style to anyone who ever finds himself with a question on some detail of English style.

Very fine resource, May 18, 2004
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is without question my favorite style manual. The fact that this manual is one of the best of its kind does not seem to be in question for most people. What does seem to be in question is whether or not the CMOS is a fit for an individual's needs. What also seems to be in question is whether or not the 15th edition is an improvement from the 14th edition.

In terms of fit, I would say that the CMOS is probably a good fit for advanced writers, editors, and publishers; however, most of these advanced professionals already know this. College students might be better served by a style manual specific to their discipline - for example, The Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook for English students, or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) for psychology students. Beginning students might also be better served by a general handbook (such as The Little, Brown Handbook or The Holt Handbook). For office workers, administrative assistants, and secretaries, a better fit might be "The Gregg Reference Manual," which has an emphasis on business correspondence. In each of these cases; however, the CMOS would be a useful backup reference.

In regard to the editions, my overall opinion is that the 15th edition is a significant improvement in content to the 14th, and well worth the purchase. The 13th edition was published in 1982, the 14th in 1993, and this 15th in 2003, so the CMOS is updated approximately every 10 years, which feels like a good revision pace to me. The content revisions are summarized on the back cover, and I'll list them at the end of this review.

In addition to content, the layout of the new edition is also revised. There is a bit of risk and daring in using a light blue font to distinguish examples within paragraphs, and in using a new font for numbering. The light blue text is a bit hard to read at times, but for the main, it seems to add clarity. The daring numbering font is a bit less clear than the last edition, but probably only a keen font connoisseur would even notice.

Content revisions:

- Updated Materials throughout to reflect current style, technology, and professional practice

- New coverage of journals and electronic publications

- Comprehensive new chapter on American English grammar and usage by Bryan A. Garner (author of A Dictionary of Modern American Usage)

- Updated and rewritten chapter on preparing mathematical copy

- Reorganized and updated chapters on documentation, including guidance on citing electronic sources

- Streamlined coverage of current design and production processes, with a glossary of key terms

- New diagrams of the editing and production process4es for both books and journals, keyed to chapter discussions

- Descriptive headings on all numbered paragraphs for ease of reference

- New expanded Web site with special tools and features for Manual users - www.chicagomanualofstyle.org

Simply the best; An absolute must for writers, September 17, 2003
I've been passionate about writing for some time now and situations always seem to arise-where to put the hyphen-that must be dealt with properly. The new edition (15th) of THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE is the Bible for writers (I can't speak for editors or publishers but since this prize solves most writing conundrums, it must work well for those reviewing the written word). As I've used the 14th edition for some time, I was somewhat dubious about giving up my well-oiled saftey blanket. Keep the safety blanket and buy the 15th also. The 15th implements a variety of changes befitting current wisdom; a must in today's literary world. As has been the modus operandi for some time now, the 15th edition of CMS is still in the relatively unattractive orange dust jacket but has been "brightened" inside with two ink tones. Contrary to another reviewer, I find the ink offset to be quite helpful.

One of the more useful additions to the 15th CMS is the paramenters addressed relative to citations from electronic publications. In the internet age, this is a must for technical and non-fiction writers. Additionally and as mandated by most interpretations of copyright law, whenever one draws from another's work, one must provide documentation. CMS follows a basic documentation style for either footnotes or endnotes. This documentation would include direct quotes, paraphrases or someone else's words or ideas, and facts and figures.

As a writer of technical articles, I use this manual as a guide through the morass of style. An article can be poorly written but sparkle with style and grammar. This article will, at the very least, garner some respect. A kick-bum article delving into the meat of a timely subject, yet penned with poor grammar and distasteful style, will be look upon with disdain.

If you're going to write, spend the bucks for CMS. It will be the best investment relative to broad acceptance of your published words.

CHICAGOS 15thA BIG DISAPPOINTMENT, March 5, 2004
Because of the size of the print used in the 15th edition, I could not read the text so I rushed downtown (14 miles one way) and bought a stronger pair of reading spectacles. With the new glasses, I noted strange looking numbers announcing each paragraph. Paragraphs 1.33 and 3.11 looked as though they were set by an inebriated typesetter. The "one" numerals in both paragraphs appeared to be superscripted.

My curiosity led me to the colophon where I learned the manual is set with Scala and Scala Sans fonts. I used my favorite search engine and discovered these fonts were "invented" in 1999. I also discovered numerals 1, 2, and 0 are diminutive and the remainder are mega size and numerals 6 and 8 are superscripted. Mystery solved: The Chicago Press did not have an inebriated type setter.

Even with my more powerful spectacles, I still had trouble reading the text. I used my microscope and measured the capital letters in the 14th edition; they are 0.2 millimeters taller than the Scala capitals. This seems trivial, but it is not (particularly for older writers and editors). More bothersome than the small type size is the bluish type found in chapter 5. At first I thought there were sections of the text missing. All the text within the curly brackets is printed with barely discernable blue ink, which is virtually invisible under certain artificial light conditions. On page 148, note 5, we are told the curly brackets were used to save space. I don't have the Scala on my Mac but I tested several commonly used fonts and discovered words and phrases enclosed in square brackets use less space!

On the plus side Chicago has seen the light and dumped a couple of their old, long-standing edicts that made little or no sense. They now recommend the month-day-year method of recording dates (p. xii & 6.46); I was elated to find this change. I reasoned some of the curmudgeons who had ruled Chicago for eons retired and vanished from the scene-I was wrong. In paragraphs 17.186 and 17.225, Chicago recommends using the day-month-year system when there is a string of dates because it supposedly eliminates or reduces clutter. I was wrong again; there are still curmudgeons on the staff who won't totally abandon the military day-month-year rule.

I then went to the inclusive numbers paragraphs and was momentarily delighted to read "a foolproof system is to give the full form of numbers everywhere" (9.65). Then I looked at the preceding paragraph and was disheartened to learn Chicago does not like the foolproof system. Instead of 101-108 (the foolproof method) they want us to use 101-8 (presumably there are lots of fools who need placating).

Chapters 16 and 17 go on ad nauseam explaining how identical citation entries are handled differently in notes, bibliographies, or in reference lists (16.8-16.120 and 17.3-17.264). My wife and I have chaired several Death Valley historical conferences; she edits and prepares the camera ready text for the proceedings. Our instruction to the authors is simple: "We see no need to use different styles of literature citations in references and notes. Therefore, use the same literature citation format in your notes as used in references," which is the author-date system.

Scrutinizing the literature citation examples in the15th edition (e.g., 17.25-17.179), it is difficult to discern some of the subtle differences demanded by Chicago. The only way I could find them was to use a magnifying glass along with my more powerful reading glasses. Life, for authors, would be much simpler if Chicago would eliminate the frustrating nuances of the three systems and adopt the author-date system for notes, bibliographies, and literature citations.

In Chicago's discussion as to when to use the word "percent" or the "%" symbol we are told "in humanistic copy the word percent is used ... [but, presumably, for we non-humanistic scientists] the symbol % is more appropriate" (9.19). As long as I am on trivia, here's another one: Paragraph 17.169 lays down the rules for making the momentous decision as to when you leave a space following a colon. There's a rule for the space and one against the space. Wouldn't it be easier to simply say: A space always follows a colon or no space following the colon if followed by a number. Unquestionably this would be simpler but it wouldn't provide nits for an editor to pick.

Chicago now disallows op. cit. (opere citato: in the work previously cited) (16.50). The careless use of this helpful term is ubiquitous in the historical books I read. I've wasted many hours canvassing the previous notes in a book frantically attempting to track down, for example, "Wheat, op. cit. p. 47." When something is broken, fix it. The op. cit. "break" is easy to repair and here is how: Wheat, op. cit. [n. 3] p. 47. This immediately refers you back to the original note 3 where Wheat was first cited and tells you the author is now citing something on page 47 from Wheat's work.

The 14th edition, with its legible text has 921 pages and the barely readable 15th edition has 966 pages. Chicago added an excellent Grammar and Usage chapter, which consumed 92 pages. This chapter is a valuable addition to the tome.

It is now obvious Chicago will have to dump some sections if a readable 16th edition ever rolls off the press. Chicago could, as they did in the 15th edition, reduce the size of the font (heaven forbid!). If they do this, they'll have to supply a magnifying glass with each book.

A far better suggestion would be to whack away at the superfluous text with Occam's Razor and eliminate their insistence on having different standards for notes, references, and bibliographies. If they adopted the author-date system, widely used in the scientific community, the razor could trim a couple hundred pages of trivia. They then could go back to a readable font size.

An Essential Guide, September 12, 2003
If you work with words, this is the reference book you must own. Updated approximately once a decade, the 15th edition is the most significant revision I can remember.

Publishing has changed dramatically and the Manual has changed with it. The editors promise that every aspect of their coverage has been examined and updated. In addition to books, the Manual also provides guidelines for journals and electronic publications.

There is a new chapter on American Grammar usage and usage. Design and manufacturing coverage has been streamlined to reflect current procedures.

A major improvement is the adding of descriptive headings to each numbered paragraph. This results in the Manual easier to search.

If you are looking for clear, concise advice, the 15th edition is reference stylebook you must own.

Design disaster, January 12, 2004
Aesthetics supersedes practicality in most matters of my life, but there are times when you just want to USE something. As an editor, I want my reference books to decrease my work time, not add to it. I admit I haven't discovered a plethora of new style info simply because the style of the book itself precludes my perusal of it.

Chicago 15 is a big, beautiful disaster. Whoever designed it should be forced to use it -- after reading manuscripts every day, all day, all year -- as punishment. What were they thinking when they chose the typestyles and font sizes, especially for the reference numbers? Perhaps it was obvious we would just disregard this book and stick with our 14th editions anyway, so the designers thumbed their noses at us and decided to just make it pretty (which it is).

Must I mention the barely legible pale blue print? An attempt at setting apart the examples is laudable, though unnecessary (Is that not what the braces are for? I was always taught that ONE form of distinction is enough), but the chosen color is insulting to those of us who actually read for a living.

As an artist, I love the fonts and design. As an editor, I hate this book -- and I have no use for it as an artist. The best thing about this book is that no one wants to use it, so I'm not forced to either. None of the NYC book publishers I edit for have abandoned the 14th (although we all readily switched over to Webster's 11th). The second-best thing about this book is that I still have the 14th edition and WIT to turn to. The third-best thing is that at least the business expense is tax-deductible.

Oh, I Hate This Book, But --, May 23, 2006
I hate this book. Can I say it clearer? Following its detailed formatting for bibliographies is challenging, but I need it. I don't like that either. What can I say? It is making me a better writer, and assisting me in my ability to persuade publications to print my work. It helps me earn money.

Like the Associated Press book, it is an absolute requirement for any writer serious about presenting his work professionally and with a consistent style.

Keep both Chicago and the AP on your desk if you write grants, white papers, marketing communications, press releases, feature articles. You get the idea. The only kind of professional business writer who may not need "The Chicago Manual of Style" might be a pure ad copywriter. The rest of us, even those us who are hip and modern, and work largely online, will not escape from it.

More academic publications require Chicago. More journalistic publications require AP. See? You need them both. In fact, you'll need several other style manuals if you make a living (or intend to) as a writer and/or editor. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. (Look! I used Chicago already. Notice the use of commas in a series.)

This is not a book I can say, "It is difficult to use. Buy its competitor." There is only one "Chicago Manual of Style." You will learn the structure quickly enough.

Buy this book. Hate it, but in an appreciated way.

I fully recommend this book.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

First great reference text of the 21st century, October 29, 2003
The 15th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style is the first great reference text of the 21st century. Writers, researchers, indexers, proofreaders, editors, publishers, archivists, and educators will all find common ground in the collective wisdom found here.

Those already familiar with other incarnations of this guide will find that is still the authority on a multitude of topics. Most of my initial forays have been in the fifth chapter on grammar and usage, a chapter that exhaustively covers all the parts of speech and provides an excellent guide to word usage. A separate chapter covers all aspects of spelling and the distinctive treatment accorded many works, including compounds. If only the eighth chapter on terms and names could be passed into law, then maybe some of the nonsensical and false capitalization that is applied so rampantly to military, political, scientific, religious, geographic, and government names could be controlled. Still, this information provides those willing to take on the fight with plenty of ammo to do it unreservedly. Likewise, the sixth chapter on punctuation will vindicate language purists who insist (as I do) that we have to uphold our standards and rules for punctuation to avoid anarchy in our writing.

A chapter on numbers jumps right into the common fray about whether to use numerals or words, providing myriad examples and not displacing the use of common sense in certain instances. There are plenty of nitty-gritty details here: when to use the en dash with inclusive numbers; how to form plurals of numbers (no apostrophes need apply); what is the correct way to express currency. Chapter 14, which is one of the many sections that reflects how technology has advanced our options and choices regarding printed communications, is essential reading for those in the scientific and technology fields and offers details likely not found in other guides of this sort, such as listing fonts frequently used for mathematical symbols.

The chapters on references, documentation, manuscript preparation, and indexing will likely be touchstones for the next decade. In these chapters, as throughout this guide, the articulate discussions of principals, guidelines, and rules are augmented with examples. The examples reflect a wide mode of communications, from print to the Internet. A chapter on rights and permissions ought to be mandatory reading for all college students. It pretty much covers what is and is not legal without smothering one with legalese.

Appendix A: Design and Production is not for everyone, but I've always be intrigued by the whole process of making books from the first scribbled outline to the binding process, so I find it an interesting read. And if you need more information, a generous 15-page bibliography offers more resources.

This edition is easy to search and use. The typography is more modern and less tiring on the eyes though the light blue type can be hard to read. (Was this "nonrepro blue" used as a countermeasure against photocopying and scanning?) There is also a deft touch of humility here, as noted in the preface: "As always, most Chicago rules are guidelines not imperatives; where options are offered, the first is normally our preference."

As hard as it is to give up my well-thumbed, annotated, and tagged 14th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, I know that is well past time I retired it to sit along side my 13th edition. Too much has changed since the 14th edition was published, but not much has escaped the radar of those responsible for crafting this superb reference.

Everything you need is right here., October 4, 2005
This is to "The Elements of Style" what a good encyclopedia is to a good dictionary. "The Elements of Style" will tell you the basics of what you need to know, but "The Chicago Manual of Style" will tell you everything else.
Everything else.
Every nagging question you've ever had about writing and grammar and punctuation is in here.
The proper rules for ellipsis marks?
Check.
The complete rules for making and organizing an index?
Check.
Extensive elaborations on the proper use of quotation marks, the active voice, and Roman numerals?
Check, check, check!
It's all here. It's all here, it's clearly written, and it's as complete as can be. It also has a good index for easier access to all its information.
If the book has any faults, it's that it employs a really baffling system of arranging its material, using a system of numbers and decimal points that's never really explained, and that even professional editors have puzzled over.
If you're a writer though, and if you want your work to look and read as professional as clear and as possible, you really ought to own and study and learn from this book. It can only help you.

Has outlived its usefulness in an Internet Age, May 10, 2007
I work as a freelance commercial writer. Since I deal with words for a living, I've built a substantial library of reference material. One would think that my Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) would be threadbare from constant use.

If only that were the case.

Our language bends and flexes, and most writing references keep pace with those changes. The CMS may, in fact, bend and flex with the best of them. Unfortunately, most people won't know if it does because accessing the wealth of information in its pages is dramatically crippled by an inability to locate the information users need.

The index for the CMS fails to consider how users actually search for information. The beauty of a Web-based search engine comes through its adaptability to user input. Different groups of keywords will lead a user to the necessary information. But the rigid indexing system of the CMS defies this kind of use. Its creators thought they knew how to sort information, but time and again, I simply cannot locate the information I need to know by using the index. This makes even simple info searches trying. In the end, this lack defeats the entire purpose of the CMS. Like the joke about the sound of one hand clapping, what is the usefulness of a printed reference you can't reference?

While some grace must be afforded the compilers of the CMS for sheer breadth of information, I'm routinely baffled why some obvious needs aren't covered. For instance, the correct rules for writing lists of items don't take into account those lists that use something other than colons to precede them. The CMS doesn't cover multiple-response lists preceded by ellipses or by a partial sentence. That seems to be a terrible oversight. If these simple lists are missing, what else isn't covered?

Likewise, the usage examples seem obvious compared with the more complex sentences I'm asked to write. A wider variety of given examples would help. Otherwise, I'm left to wonder if more than one rule exists to cover the sentence I'm writing and I just can't find those other rules in the CMS.

The University of Chicago Press offers an electronic version of the CMS, but the reviews here at Amazon universally denounce the interface. This is ironic, since the proper interface makes or breaks a reference. We may not think of a paper book as having an interface, but it's the poor interface of the current print edition of the CMS that garners it this lukewarm review.

IF one can find needed information, this reference excels. Yet that inability to find what one needs in the CMS makes it less than useful in today's Internet Age. I find more proper grammar usage using search engines than I do paging through the CMS. I hope its editors are listening. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Since the first edition was published in 1991, The Elements of Legal Style has established itself as the authoritative guide on all the major issues of writing style in law. Now its coverage has been expanded in this new edition, which features additional sections, many more examples, and a thoroughly researched appendix that contains 80 major statements on prose style what it is and how to attain it. Inspired by Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, this book clearly (often wittily) explains the full range of what legal writers need to know: mechanics, word choice, structure, and rhetoric, as well as all the special conventions that legal writers should follow in using headings, defined terms, quotations, and many other devices. The Elements of Legal Style, 2nd Edition is written for lawyers, law students, judges, and their law clerks--and for anyone who writes in and about the law. With broad experience as a practitioner, academic, and writing consultant, Bryan Garner knows firsthand where legal writing so often goes wrong, and he pays particular attention to these trouble spots. ... Read more

Reviews

The best single investment in legal writing., May 18, 2000
I bought this book in 1994 or so, and try to read it every year as a refresher course. You can read the entire book (skimming the examples) in a long weekend. Doing that will immessurably improve the coherence and power of your writing. This book has helped me. The examples are clear and relevant and relatively easy to use in your own writing.

Garner has a real gift and this early book was just the first sign of his abilities. Enjoy!

A more scholarly look at legal-writing style., July 3, 2002
This review is of the Second Edition, published in 2002.

This book takes an intelligent, thoughtful, and somewhat scholarly approach to legal-writing style, yet it is still readable and practical. Garner presents good writing advice, with examples of how to do it taken from the great legal writers: Holmes, Cardozo, Llewellyn, and others.

And the coverage is broad: from punctuation to citation; from commonly-misused words to rhetorical devices for persuasion. The book covers enough basics to reward the novice, but it can take the experienced writer farther than other legal-writing books.

A well-designed and highly useful guidebook, September 6, 2003
My first Garner book was "The Winning Brief," purchased as I was preparing for an ultimately successful fight against a speeding ticket, and I was instantly taken by his clear and informative style.

This book continues that trend. Garner is an exceptional writer, and even the best of writers, legal or otherwise, can learn a great deal from this book.

Every lawyer and judge should have a copy., April 10, 2000
Perhaps because Garner's major work, "A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage," has received so much attention, this little book is often overlooked. This is unfortunate because "The Elements of Legal Style" is an outstanding resource and it is probably more accessible and more useful to the working lawyer than "A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage." As Professor Wright indicates in his incisive Forward, "anyone, no matter how good a writer, will find much that is useful in the book." This book should be in the library of every lawyer and judge. Highly recommended.

Helped me get on the Law Review, July 11, 2005
I read a review where someone said they read this and it got them on the law review. That was what I was looking for, so I bought it and the same thing happened to me (which is incredible considering my grades). This book gave me the tools to express what I want to say without trying to cram everything into one sentence. Somehow, after reading this book, I felt much less inhibited about my writing and more confident that I was using correct grammar, sentence structure, etc. Now that I think about it I'd like to read it again. I'd highly reccomend this to someone who wants to write legal papers that are actually readable and have some style.

For those who wish to reach beyond the stars., October 22, 2005
First introduced to Bryan A. Garner at one of his brief writing seminar, several years ago, I have since been a loyal reader of his works.

This book is (1) a reference book, (2) an invaluable resource, (3) more than just a grammar or style book ever thought of being, (4) chocked full of historical information and legal literary quotes, (5) presented in a humorous and accessible manner, and (6) the standard to which all legal writers should aspire.

Poor writing and the use of legalese have always been bug-a-boos of mine. And, over the lifetime of my legal practice, having to slave over thousands of statutes, briefs, decisions, motions, etc., has only intensified my belief that too few lawyers know how to write well, and that the legal profession should abolish the use of legalese from the practice of law.

In Mr. Garner, I have found a champion. In "The Elements of Legal Style", writers wishing to take their craft beyond the stars will find a valuable cache of information that will lay the foundations to improve their writing and persuading skills. He shows you how to remove the legalese from your writing, how to make your writing dynamic and exciting, and how to use your writing to better persuade. This book, along with "The Winning Brief", should be the foundation of your arsenal of writing tools.

Not up to Prof. Garner's high standard., August 21, 2001
As a great admirer of Prof. Garner's other works, I was very disappointed by this volume. It provides little advice that cannot be found, in equally brief form, in any number of "general" writing guides already on the market. I believe lawyers and law students would be better served by buying, first, Garner's *Modern Legal Usage* (a true masterpiece) and reading the essays on general stylistic topics in that excellent volume. If one has additional money and time, Garner's "Winning Brief" would be a wise second purchase. [Note: This review, originally written several years ago, was of the first edition of Prof. Garner's *Elements.* The second edition appears to be much improved over the first.]

A "Must Have" for Anyone Engaged in Legal Writing, February 19, 2004
Despite the fact that many attorneys spend much of their time writing motions, briefs, memos and such with the intent of writing clearly and persuasively, most attorneys fail miserably at doing so. Many judges, the very people the attorneys are attempting to persuade complain of how terribly most attorneys write.

Now we have Bryan Garner to the rescue. If you don't know about Bryan, he is one of the preeminent legal scholars on the subject of writing clearly and persuasively. Bryan helps attorneys cut through the clutter of legalese, organize their arguments, and, ultimately, draft documents that often will win their argument solely on the basis of the fact that the Judge can at least read and understand the message.

Law students can also benefit from the information found in this book. I would even recommend it for the average layperson who wishes to represent their self in court or who simply wants to write more clearly and directly. Every lawyer should have this book on their shelf and follow its advice religiously. This book may very well be the "bible" of legal writing.

Not just for lawyers, August 10, 2006
I am a physician who tested out of all college English to focus on science. Writing chart notes, scientific articles, or even parts of textbooks does not prepare one for the type of writing one must do when performing legal work.

Scientific-technical writing, legal writing, or the best-selling novel all require different writing styles. Mr. Garner's book must be a help to law students based on other reviews but importantly to me; it is very accessable to those who have never attended law school.

Legal style is a "style" that is important in the profession of law. If you do any work in this area at all, whether it is on the stand or writing essays, it behooves the non-lawyer to read this book. So, even though I agree with the glowing reviews from lawyers, this book may be even more important to those of us who must do legal work but have never been to law school.

A fantastic resource for legal writers, October 29, 2004
There is a dirty little secret in the world of the law. Not many people outside the legal world know about it. I will share it with you:

Few judges, lawyers and law students know how to write effectively. Even fewer would readily admit to being poor writers.

But fear not! This book gives valuable advice and suggestions on how any legal writer can improve their writings. It helps the reader understand exactly what it is that makes a piece of writing "good." It gives many examples of bad writing and suggestions on how to make it better. It also tries to convince legal writers to keep their prose short and simple: a writer is not going to make up for a poorly-written argument by using lots of Latin words/phrases and legal mumbojumbo.

If you are a legal practitioner, this book is an absolute requirement for your bookshelf. Since buying it, I have consulted it regularly. I have yet to be disappointed by the guidance it has given me.

... Read more