Review by Booklist Review
Johnson, a book editor for more than 30 years, has revised and updated this handbook, which first appeared as The Washington Square Press Handbook of Good English. It is designed as a "comprehensive, easy-to-use guide." Two-thirds of the handbook consists of four sections: "Grammar," "Punctuation," "How to Style Written English: Miscellaneous Mechanics," and "Beyond the Sentence: Diction and Composition." These sections provide a full spectrum of rules, explain each rule, and offer several examples of each. Johnson frequently interjects personal opinion into explanations. The last third of the handbook contains the glossary/index, an alphabetically arranged list of commonly used and misused words and phrases with explanations, examples, and references to the numbered rules found in the first part of the book. The explanations here range from one to two sentences for terms such as loan vs. lend, parentheses, and subordinate clause to several paragraphs for the entries infinitive, that vs. which, and hopefully. Even though this section serves as an index to the text, a detailed index would facilitate use of the handbook. This revised edition is approximately one-third longer than the first, is in hardcover format rather than paper, and is more aesthetically appealing with larger print, a typeface that is easier on the eyes, and whiter paper with wider margins. The items listed in the table of contents are identical to those of the first edition, with the addition of "Diagonal" in the "Punctuation" section. Although the rules remain the same, much of the text has been rewritten and many examples changed. The Handbook of Good English is not as comprehensive or as detailed as The Chicago Manual of Style, thirteenth edition; however, this new title still "fills a real need for a basic, `strict rather than permissive' manual." Although not a first purchase, it is recommended for public, high school, and academic libraries. (Reviewed Dec. 15, 1991)
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
