The Careful Writer

regarding the review just below, no professional editor could have written "this one earns it's cost." Oh, wait...the individual is Canadian.

(8/22/08) My apologies to our northern neighbors for the above, which must have been posted after one Labatt's too many.

There's no question that Bernstein's book has got to be on your shelf if you're a professional editor, as I am. I was happy to find it on the shelf of Amazon when all Canadian efforts to procure a copy failed (OK, I just called a few local booksellers and checked Amazon's competitor; I didn't say I'm not a _lazy_ editor sometimes).
It's a useful volume that has been used in my office to put snivelly writers back into their places as an effective "See, I _told_ you you're using those casualisms incorrectly, and Bernstein agrees with me!" atomic flyswatter ;).
I only give it 3 stars since it's dated (pub. 1966) and shows its age. Many times B. uses references to the Soviets as examples, which no doubt is amusing yet dates it somewhat. Similarly there are references to daily life and women's lowly state of the time that are quaint at best. Also I was looking for something that had a heavier grammatical bent, moreso than usage. I also am not in the newspaper business, so continual references to headlines and copy editors are not of much use to me.
All said, you must have this on your shelf, and you must read it, if you, like me, are editing for a living.
Any solid, respected tool such as this one earns it's cost the first time you can finally go after that PITA contributor who always thinks he/she can one-up you yet again in usage.

As advisor to a school newspaper staff, I recommended this marvelous book to the students because it made finding the precise word or the correct pronunciation fun. Bernstein was copy editor for the New York Times; he is a true expert, with a wonderful sense of humor. I have bought a copy of "The Careful Writer" for each of five grandchildren as they were setting off to college, and now routinely give the book as a high-school graduation present.

I suppose one might argue that other usage guides are perhaps more thorough and instructive but for quality none outshines The Careful Writer. Theodore M. Bernstein created a gem for the ages when he assembled this collection of some 2,000 entries. I cannot imagine how often I've consulted this text to resolve some slippery usage issue or to refine my own text.

If you need help sorting out the use gender vs. sex, for instance, here you will find that gender is a grammatical term and not at all synonymous with sex. If you are not sure whether the context demands the use of fewer or less, Bernstein will set you straight. Did your supervisor remove all the commas you correctly inserted into a report? Check out the clear, precise explanation here.

Even as the standards of language erode, there are still many who strive to uphold correctness, precision, and nuance over fad and fashion. If you can find a copy of The Careful Writer, you will have a powerful tool to help preserve the legacy of our language.

Any copy editor, writer, broadcast journalist, or English professor who does not yet have a copy of Mr. Bernstein's stellar book is bereft of one of the essential compendiums of usage. It's well worth the effort to track down and purchase this book, for you will consult it with increasing frequency as you become aware of what a rich resource it is.

This is, indeed, a wonderful book, just as the other reviewers have said. People who are interested in language think most books on grammar and usage are entertaining even if they're really dry as dust. That's just how we are. This book, however, is much more entertaining than those that are really dry as dust.

The format of this book is easier on the eyes than many heavier tomes on usage. The pages have only a single, full column with bold heads and plenty of white space.

Bernstein has answers that can't be found elsewhere. Here's an example. Suppose you've written a paper you hope will be published in a scholarly journal. You submit the paper to your department head. He or she sends it to a peer reviewer. The reviewer writes that your ideas are "interesting, if not innovative." Based on that comment your department head refuses to submit the paper for publication. But did the reviewer mean your ideas were interesting BUT not innovative, or did he or she mean your ideas were NOT ONLY interesting BUT ALSO innovative? I checked five reference books searching for an answer. Only Bernstein came through. According to Bernstein, only tone of voice could distinguish between the two meanings, and so the construction "[this], if not [that]" should not be used in writing because of its ambiguity.