Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing is my current read. Normally I’m more of a classicist, preferring my MLA and Chicago Manual of Style or the wonderful Elements of Style. Meanwhile, Grammar Girl is the opposite end of the spectrum, appealing to youth or business people who aren’t as interested necessarily in the rote, represented by an avatar, and having made her name via podcasts. Didn’t sound like necessarily my cup of tea.
However, after she answered a question I had for her on twitter (in regards to the capitalization of the word “minister” in a strange context), I thought I owed her text a chance.
It arrived a few days ago, looking very orange and not overly imposing. I delved right in and within some 15 minutes I had already found a number of intuitive rules that I knew previously as well as fleshing out those I was definitely confused about. She even sometimes supports splitting infinitives (Ah! The horror! Meh, whatever… I’m OK with it).
In any event, for the casual writer or anyone who wants to improve their written communication (especially those Wall St. suits that are busy making resumes? Man am I glad I got out of there when I did…) this is a solid addition to your bookshelf.
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