Authoritative as it is amusing, this book distills everything Benjamin
Dreyer has learned from the hundreds of books he has copyedited, including
works by Elizabeth Strout, E. L. Doctorow, and Frank Rich, into a useful
guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best
foot forward in writing prose. Dreyer offers lessons on the ins and outs of
punctuation and grammar, including how to navigate the words he calls 'the
confusables,' like tricky homophones; the myriad ways to use (and misuse) a
comma; and how to recognize--though not necessarily do away with--the
passive voice. (Hint: If you can plausibly add 'by zombies' to the end of a
sentence, it's passive.) People are sharing their writing more than ever--
on blogs, on Twitter--and this book lays out, clearly and comprehensibly,
everything writers can do to keep readers focused on the real reason
writers write: to communicate their ideas clearly and effectively. Chock-
full of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts on the rules (and nonrules)
of the English language, this book will prove invaluable to everyone who
wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend
their time editing and shaping other people's prose, and--perhaps best of
all--an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language--