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Loading... Eats, Shoots & Leaves - The Zero Tolerance Approach To Punctuationby Lynne Truss
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. It's hard to imagine, but this book on grammar had me laughing out loud on the NYC subway system. Nothing like a good cackle to turn everybody's head your way! This extremely humerous cri de couer from a grammar-lover will entertain you, and even educate you a little. You might even disagree, which is ok with the author - sometimes! 1   ffortsa | Dec 25, 2009 |  I admit to being a bit fixated on grammar and punctuation. During boring meetings at work, one of my favorite activities is spotting grammatical errors on the speaker's charts. And I'm continually amazed by the ways in which the English language can be butchered. I don't claim to be perfect in this area, but I definitely make an effort to write correctly. So, this book resonated with me. In it, Lynne Truss outlines the basic rules governing usage of common punctuation like the apostrophe, comma, semicolon, colon, and quotation marks. She describes the changes in usage over time, and the differences between American and British conventions. And she does it all in a very accessible and humorous fashion. For example, consider The Law of Conservation of Apostrophes, described thus: ...this law states that a balance exists in nature: "For every apostrophe omitted from an it's, there is an extra one put into an its." Thus the number of apostrophes in circulation remains constant, even if this means we have double the reason to go and bang our heads against a wall. (p. 63) Truss also considers how language will evolve as the written word shifts from a predominantly printed form to electronic media. She notes that our current punctuation system -- which was produced first for reading aloud, and later for print -- will undoubtedly undergo significant change, and that early signs of this can be seen in today's use of emoticons. She's actually quite positive about the inclusive nature of the internet, and encourages sticklers everywhere to embrace change and welcome new usage conventions that are sure to emerge. I'm OK with that -- as long as we don't start using apostrophes to indicate plurals. :-P (  )1 lindsacl | Dec 23, 2009 | While you may need to have a love for the written word in order to appreciate the role punctuation plays, you don't need it to love Lynne Truss' witty reference guide. I found it hard to read straight through, but I remember laughing out loud at some parts. She did a wonderful job of taking a subject that could be boring and made it delightful. Highly recommended for those whose pet peeve is the wrong use of an apostrophe. AmyElizabeth | Dec 22, 2009 | With a great deal of flourish and humour, Truss explains punctuation, its usages, abuses and deviations. Historically, it really is quite fascinating, and I can only commiserate with the abuses she reports (English is my second language and even I am often appalled by what I have to read). I could, however, have done without the mental abuse: not everyone who makes a mistake is stupid and ignorant as she would have us believe - frankly, I found it out of place and would have enjoyed the book rather more if it hadn't been a constant thread. An otherwise useful tool, which I am sure to use in my editing practice (the rules also apply remarkably well to French!). (  ) Cecilturtle | Nov 22, 2009 | A disappointment. (  ) Alaric.Adair | Nov 10, 2009 | 
 When [Truss] stops straining at lawks-a-mussy chirpiness and analyzes punctuation malpractice, she is often persuasive  The passion and fun of her arguments are wonderfully clear. Here is someone with abiding faith in the idea that ''proper punctuation is both the sign and the cause of clear thinking.''
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We all know the basics of punctuation. Or do we? A look at most neighborhood signage tells a different story. Through sloppy usage and low standards on the Internet, in e-mail, and now text messages, we have made proper punctuation an endangered species.
In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, former editor Truss dares to say, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English way, that it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful and necessary things they are. This is a book for people who love punctuation and get upset when it is mishandled. From the invention of the question mark in the time of Charlemagne to George Orwell shunning the semicolon, this lively history makes a powerful case for the preservation of a system of printing conventions that is much too subtle to be mucked about with. BACKCOVER: Praise for Lynne Truss and Eats, Shoots & Leaves:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves “makes correct usage so cool that you have to admire Ms. Truss.”
—Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Witty, smart, passionate.”
—Los Angeles Times Book Review, Best Books Of 2004: Nonfiction
“Who knew grammar could be so much fun?”
—Newsweek
“Witty and instructive. . . . Truss is an entertaining, well-read scold in a culture that could use more scolding.”
—USA Today “Truss is William Safire crossed with John Cleese’s Basil Fawlty.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Lynne Truss has done the English-speaking world a huge service.”
—The Christian Science Monitor
“This book changed my life in small, perfect ways like learning how to make better coffee or fold an omelet. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who cares about grammar and a gentle introduction for those who don’t care enough.”
—The Boston Sunday Globe
“Lynne Truss makes [punctuation] a joy to contemplate.”
—Elle
“If Lynne Truss were Roman Catholic I’d nominate her for sainthood.” —Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes
“Truss’s scholarship is impressive and never dry.”
—Edmund Morris, The New York Times Book Review
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:57 -0400)
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