One person's opinions of various ways of using language. Like most books of rules, it missed answering a lot of the questions I had about writing, and included details about much I was not interested in. ( )

Check out "Authority and American Usage" (aka "Tense Present: Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage" as it appeared in Harper's Magazine) by David Foster Wallace. It'll rock your world, especially if you -- like me -- never thought about who has the ultimate authority regarding what's "correct" in english. The essay covers a whole world of fascinating content but at its core is structured around a review of this book, A Dictionary of Modern American Usage by Bryan A. Garner. The final takeaway is that authority of the english language is a surprisingly murky question, but Bryan A. Garner comes about as close as one can get to being such an authority. That's basically the argument that's submitted, anyway.

I was successfully persuaded into sharing this belief by the end of the essay. My wife got me a copy of A Dictionary of Modern American Usage as a gift a few years ago, and it's been cherished as one of the finest books in my collection ever since. It answers most of the questions you will ever have about the english language, and many many more that you would never have thought of. It's an incredibly comprehensive reference text, and yet it's extremely accessible, never condescending, and never stuffy. All this and more is worked out in the aforementioned essay; this is the crux of why ADMAU is so good and so... trustable.

One last thing: I became such a fan of this book that I eventually contacted Bryan A. Garner himself and asked him a question about a technical usage issue that arose in a book I was reading for fun at the time. It was not a life-or-death question; it wasn't important at all. I was asking out of genuine curiosity and was not even really expecting a response. But he wrote back that very morning -- despite having no obligation to do so -- and gave me a detailed and thoughtful response. I've asked more questions since and gotten more answers. He's very knowledgeable and very kind. Get this book if you don't have it already and let it change your life. ( )

Sound advice on English usage, a bit prescriptivist for my taste but always worth consulting. ( )