Are These Books Worth the Read?
Over the course of this semester, I have delved into three separate books that explain different aspects of grammar, punctuation, and writing. Each of them had very different tones and described multitudes of topics. Because I enjoy sharing great texts with anyone who needs them, I have decided to write a small review for each book, answering three questions: Who is this book for? Does it accomplish its goals? And would I recommend it to my readers?
Ready? Let's begin!
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The Great Typo Hunt
Have you ever read a grammar book that followed an actual storyline? If not, you have got to read this book. It follows the author, Jeff Deck, as he travels the United States with one goal in mind: fixing typos. It has action. It has adventure. It has intrigue. But best of all, it details all the common spelling and grammar mistakes and explains why they're wrong. Based on this information, this book seems to be for people who understand some basic grammar rules but struggle with the more detailed concepts.
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For the most part, this book accomplishes its goal. It showcases errors and explains why they're wrong. At times, however, Deck focuses too much on his existential crisis about whether grammar is even important (spoiler alert: it is), which gets a bit annoying.
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So, would I recommend this book to my readers? In short, I would. Even if you are aware of a ton of comma and grammar rules, there will be things in this book you don't know about. I even found myself surprised a few times. However, my recommendation comes with a few caveats. First, I should warn you that this book is written in the style of the Old West. As such, it takes a bit of getting used to. Secondly, when I say Deck goes through several crises, I am not exaggerating. He questions his entire life over a few misplaced commas. If you can handle those two flaws, then dive right in. It's a fun read! Overall, I'd give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5.
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A World Without "Whom"
This book, appropriately titled to convey tone, was written by Emily Favilla. She is currently a managing editor at Forbes, but when writing this book, she worked for BuzzFeed. Do you remember when Buzzfeed released a style guide, becoming one of the first internet-only publications to do so? Well, that was Favilla. She wrote that.
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Compared to The Great Typo Hunt, this book has a vastly different style. Although it is still informal, Favilla takes grammar a lot more seriously. Each of her chapters reads more like a grammar self-help book than an adventure that happens to involve grammar. Additionally, her book focuses more on nuanced rules. For example, she has chapters on writing about sensitive topics, embracing language change in the digital age, and writing professional emails. As such, this book seems to be less for grammar newbies and more for seasoned pros who perhaps are too stuck in their ways.
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Favilla definitely succeeds in educating fellow writers. She lays out the rules, explains their importance, and even gives detailed examples. However, her tone can come off as extraordinarily condescending. At times, it seems like she thinks she is talking to kindergartners. I understand most of the topics she is speaking about. So, as I read, I often wanted to throw the book across the room. Luckily, I didn't, considering I read this as an e-book on my laptop.
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With that in mind, would I recommend this book? I think so. It can get very annoying, though. Several times, Favilla takes rules that are unanimously written across all other style guides and just changes them for no good reason. Honestly, I would recommend this book to a select group of people. Still learning the rules? Don't pick up this book. You'll get confused. Understand grammar for the most part? Have at it! In the end, I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐.5/5 stars.
The Workplace Writer's Process
Of all three books in this post, The Workplace Writer's Process by Anne Janzer is the most boring and the least helpful. However, I still think it has its place. As a writer who took an entire class based on this book's concepts, I felt like I was being spoken down to. However, his book could become an essential tool for people who genuinely have never had to write something for their job or who have continued to struggle when writing workplace documents. With the incredible detail of each step in the process, this book is clearly for beginning workplace writers who need to know where to start.
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Throughout this book, Janzer works to describe how to write a workplace document correctly from the ground up. As I mentioned before, none of these concepts were new to me. However, plenty of new writers have never been exposed to the things English majors are on a regular basis. So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that, even though I didn't like it, this book accomplished its goal magnificently.
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Would I recommend this book, then? Eh. It really depends on the person. This book is a fantastic option if you need an extra push in the right direction. If you've pretty much written anything for any job ever, then this book is not going to be helpful. Overall? ⭐⭐/5 (Sorry, Anne Janzer).
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Which Book Works For Who?
Each of these books has a place in the conversation, but they are geared toward different audiences. Do you want a fun rundown of common grammar errors? Pick up The Great Typo Hunt. Are you well-versed in grammar rules but curious about some controversial aspects of the editing world? Emily Favilla has some great things to say in A World Without "Whom." Could you use some help writing basic workplace documents? The Workplace Writer's Process is a great place to start. My individual opinion of each of these books may not correlate with what you feel, but the only way to know if you agree or not is to start reading. Enjoy!
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