Reviews
Reviews
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he buzz is just starting to pick up, and so far it's good. Here's what people are saying about "Lapsing Into a Comma: A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--and How to Avoid Them":
Who knew a stylebook could be so much fun? For lovers of language, Lapsing Into a Comma is a sensible and very funny guide to the technicalities of writing and copy editing.
-- Amazon.com
Almost all of it makes good sense.
-- Columbia Journalism Review
Our nominee for best new title, grammar-book category, is Lapsing Into a Comma: A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--and How to Avoid Them.
-- Philadelphia Inquirer
What Walsh . . . adds to Style is style -- the element that the ever precise and dry traditional manuals often lack.
-- Library Journal
Up to date, sensible, and not nearly as cranky as the subtitle would suggest.
-- John McIntyre, American Copy Editors Society
Walsh's delightful guide is as instructive as it is witty.
-- Publishers Weekly
Walsh has explanations and arguments about language that are clear even to those who struggle with their writing, but also takes on issues near to the hearts of serious writers and editors. Making the reader laugh out loud while teaching grammar is quite a feat.
-- Scott Stein, editor-in-chief of When Falls the Coliseum (www.wfthecoliseum.com) and author of the novel "Lost"
Every copy editor (and many who think they're copy editors) should own and faithfully read and reference this book. "Lapsing into a Comma" has the same wit and humor previously found on Walsh's Web site The Slot, and keeps things in a clear and concise fashion that anyone (and by that I mean non-grammar people like myself) can understand. The book answers several questions the AP Stylebook just doesn't cover, and clarifies several things the stylebook does cover.
-- Erica A. Smith, in a reader comment at Amazon.com
Bill makes the subject of grammar not only readable, but fun. Yes, I said "fun"! He argues against some of the "silly taboos" of ancient grammatical rules, but he also makes suggestions about when to go along with the rules even if they don't make sense, "if only to avoid the scorn of the misinformed legions." His examples are often hilarious: "Individuals who need individuals are the luckiest individuals in the world"; "Why does Paul McCartney want me to live on his piano?" . . . Once you get the book, don't be surprised if you look up how to use a semicolon and find yourself still reading the book a half hour later, chuckling all the way.
-- "mlplayfair," in a reader comment at Amazon.com
