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cjreads's review
2.75
Fun read at 1st but half way through it I started to skim. However way you want to write or speak is apparently A-OK now! :-) Her DVD class "The Secret Life of Words" is great.
eli_abroad's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Can a grammar usage guide actually be funny? I'm not sure if I appreciated the humor because of my profession and nerdy interest in the topic, or if the author would indeed be funny to a general audience. But for those who care enough about the language to read through an entire usage guide rather than just search for a quick answer online, it's refreshing not to have a dry, know-it-all reference book. In addition to presenting interesting examples of usage dilemmas and how they evolved, she does a good job of leading the reader to a 'use your own discretion' way of thinking rather than giving a hard and fast rule. The overall message I got was not to be so pedantic or judgy about perceived mistakes because language is a living entity, and usage has and will continue to change. In my case, she's preaching to the choir. The author has enough wit to play with the 'mistakes' she is cautioning against and admits to her own doubts. For all these things, it's a 5-star rating. But, if I compare it to other books that I could've passed my limited time with, my rating goes down, as it wasn't particularly useful because of my prior knowledge.
bellulapatata's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
hfieglein's review against another edition
3.5
Got a little into the weeds in the middle but I supposed that’s the whole point, I really learned a lot
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