I'm a stickler, and I proudly admit it!

This book has wonderful humor and is lots of fun to read. She provides very clear rules and fun examples to cover punctuation as it is today. I loved some of the history behind why things are as they are. I also loved seeing where different opinions exist about usage. The book is well organized, clearly written, and funny. ( )

If your appalled at this review and it's glaring obvious fault's then you'll probably enjoy this book! Full of little anecdote's too make you wince so, much so, that you maybe tempted to carry a permanent marker in you're pocket; for instant rectification of punctuation errors "in the wild". ( )

If you were one of the oddballs whoenjoyed diagramming sentences as a childor if you get irritatedwhen you see apostrophe mistakes,you will like this book. I was surprisedto find myself discussing this book lastnight as each of us argued for ourfavoritemark of punctuation. Not an commoneventin my little town. ( )

I raced through this little book in two quick evenings and loved every minute of it. I'm just the sort of punctuation stickler to whom Lynne Truss is speaking.

Take heart, fellow sticklers: read Eats, Shoots and Leaves and learn you are not alone. ( )

I agree wholeheartedly with Louis Menand's excellent review of 28th June, 2004 for 'The New Yorker' (http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004...).

This is a poorly written, unfunny diatribe against incorrect punctuation which suffers from the same disease it purports to cure. I can only presume it achieved such high sales owing to hype. (Truss's media savvy must have been a great aid in this respect.)

Further, as others have noted in Amazon reviews, it feels thoroughly unpleasant in tone. For example, on page 39, Lynne Truss appears to assert that it is "regrettable" for anyone to have a West Country accent. Equally, on page 44, she avers that the dialect word nobbut is "heart-chilling". No doubt she considers such remarks to be funny. However, any humour in this book is extremely contrived. An exceedingly over-rated work. ( )

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! ( )

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 ( )

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.

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!). ( )

A disappointment. ( )

Reminder that grammar and punctuation are important.

As time has passed, the novelty of a punctuation bestseller has faded. That doesn't change the fact that this is an adorable little book. It makes me a little sad when I work at a library and we get signs that have apostrophe errors. The world would be better if more people would just read this book! ( )

What a charming little book! With genuine affection for the subject matter and a large helping of wit, Truss methodically runs down the rules for apostrophes, periods, commas, exclamation points, question marks, dashes, quotation marks, hyphens, and brackets. If the very word "punctuation" causes you to yawn despairingly, this book is probably not for you. However, if you have even a passing interest in communicating more effectively, I heartily recommend picking up a copy. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of punctuation is not to drive you bats, but to clarify the written word. It's quite useful, really, as is demonstrated so well in this book. I learned a lot without ever feeling lectured to, and even laughed quite a bit. ( )

Who knew grammar could be so much fun?! ( )

How can a person dislike a book like this? I managed it. ( )

Great book; good ideas to share about writing ( )

Now I know that my insistence on adding a comma before the 'and' at the end of a series is a preference for the 'Oxford comma.' This information intimidates most of the people who want to delete my final comma into backing off. (The people who edit my punctuation don't read much and are also easily intimidated.) ( )

Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss (2003)

A bestseller on punctuation. Who would have thought? I am one of those people who loves to find spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes so this was right up my alley. Truss explains rules clearly and gives great examples. She is British but explains the differences of some of the American rules of punctuation. She also addresses the way that English rules change with time like not using periods after abbreviations which is occurring more and more. The problem is when punctuation is misused and meaning is unclear.
The book is very readable and funny. I plan on using some of the examples with my high school students. ( )

Writers BewareTruss has too rigid a view of punctuation. Punctuation usages are growing and changing as is vocabulary and word forms and usages. For a more up-to-date view, read [b:The Fight for English|49436|Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time|Greg Mortenson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170358990s/49436.jpg|251800] by David Crystal.Truss will hobble modern writers, especially those working in new fictional forms. ( )

Very funny in parts but enjoyable fluff overall. Admittedly, I feel better now that Ms (or is it Ms.) Truss has confirmed my mostly proper punctuation! Sticklers unite! (I was amazed at how many books on punctuation there are; see the bibliography.) ( )

I'm a little nervous even posting this review on a book about punctuation. What if I use a comma wrong? Or misuse my dashes? I sure don't want to let the author down. But, I will try my best and just know, I'm weak at punctuation and I need help. That's why I picked up this book.

Who knew punctuation could be such fun? Lynne Truss gives us a great resource to turn too when we aren't quite sure how to use all the little scritches and scratches that bring a piece of writing its real meaning almost more so than the words. From commas to brackets to dashes and everything in between, she gives a quick overview of the history of each punctuation mark (although, nothing in today's computer writing age is set in stone) and guides us to the best usage. Many of the old ways are falling by the wayside--which depending on the mark and circumstance --can be a good or bad thing. Rules are changing and even among the best writers in the world, arguments spring up over the simplest punctuation. We learn that punctuation differs from one country to another; and, here in the United States, different publications have their own style books of what they prefer. I am but a lowly student. This book will be close by as I try to be a better communicator.

I recommend this book to everyone who writes. Punctuation is turning into a lost art. Let's bring it back in style. ( )

Pull out your correction fluid and editing pens; bring back your grade school grammar memories; open up this book for a hilarious look at the wonderful world of punctuation! (Are those semicolons being used correctly? You'll know for sure once you've read Eats, Shoots & Leaves.)

Lynne Truss admits to living a hard life as a stickler for proper punctuation. She insists that apostrophes and commas need not suffer the endless misuse that merchants develop with signs advertising the sale of "potato's", "apple,s", and "CD's, DVD's, and Book's". If your inner stickler cringes at those examples, Truss assures you are not alone. Taking its title (and never it's title) from the popular "panda joke", Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a chapter-by-chapter look at commonly used and misused punctuation marks.

From the confusing comma to the abused apostrophe, rules are interspersed with hilarious anecdotes and examples, adding a delightful flare of humor to a subject few have studied since grade school. Part reference book and part satire, Truss will have every reader putting new thought into writing and the fabulous world of language that surrounds us every day. ( )

witty, amusing, quick read.

Lynn Truss is a woman of wit and sophistication, but unfortunately, as is common to the aesthete, elite, and oligarch, is sometimes hoist by her own petard.

Her explanation of the use of parts of speech was easy to understand, and ran the gamut from basic idea to more complex debates; and to her credit, Mme. Truss tended to stay out of the more heated ones. She also keeps the reader pleasantly amused with both the character of her writing and the literary bent of her many examples.

However, her analysis of the changes in language after the oft-bespoke Internet Revolution was somewhat simplistic. I understand that this is not entirely her area of expertise, and as the a member of the last generation to witness an age without the internet or personal computer, I am sympathetic. However, I still cannot forgive her for failing to come to the insight that this is a fundamental change to the medium as a whole. The future of publishing lies on the internet, along with the rest of our knowledge.

I do not begrudge her the nostalgia and love of books that she has, and with Sony's new paper displays, I would doubt that something like the book will not continue to be available. However, her crude abuse of the interrobang, that young but upright princeling of punctuation, cannot be forgiven. ( )