Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English

... in fact, quite the opposite. How many grammar books can you pick up and read like a short story? And laugh out loud? If one (ahem) needs a quick fix, there is a useful index but if you want to give yourself an amusing review of grammar's ups and downs, go for it. How many handbooks can boast that? Ms. O'Conner's sly cultural references (she uses the classics-- including Homer Simpson) are fun and effortlessly instructive. (My favorite clever reference is the Paul and Bette/cigarettes one illustrating lit/lighted. Next edition please use Bush 43 for the there's/there're example!) That/which will always trip me up but if I keep "Woe" at hand, perhaps soon I will master them.

Now there are three editions to choose from.

This new update is the one I'll be using. I think it the easiest guide to finding quick yet complete answers to grammar questions. Clearly and sensibly written.

And it's fun to read!

"Woe Is I" is as much fun to read as it is instructive. Ms. O'Conner puts her points across without being stuffy or doctrinaire. I know a few English teachers who ought to read this book!

This is a wonderfully entertaining guide to good writing. My favorite chapter is "The Living Dead," in which O'Conner dedicates tombstones to "bogus or worn-out rules" such as the bans on splitting infinitives or ending sentences with a preposition. This book is full of good pointers for learning to say what you mean to say, in a way that other people can understand.

A rare new edition that actually includes new information, and it's still as witty and charming as ever!