Complete Idiots Guide College Cookbook
You’re no idiot, of course. You’ve probably written your share of book reports,, term papers, e-mails, and thank you notes. The rules of writing can be confusing, however, and might result in final drafts riddled with gaffes, typos, and errors!
The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Grammar and Style, Second Edition, will take you step by step through the basics of spelling, punctuation, and sentence formation to help you become an effective communicator of the written word! In this revised and updated Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get:
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Explanations of writing styles including exposition, narration, argumentation, and description.
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Definitions of such writing mistakes as dangling modifiers, mixed metaphors, and split infinitives–and how to avoid them.
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Examples of model documents such as resumes, cover letters, and thank you notes.
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The differences between drafting a business letter and crafting a personal one.
ReviewThe jokey, conversational style of the Complete Idiot’s Guide series is better suited to some of its many subjects than to others, but for the Guide to Grammar and Style, it works. This book might not be appropriate for professional proofreaders in search of the definitive use of the en dash, but it is a solid, amusing volume for those who daydreamed through grade school and would like to brush up on the fundamentals. Puns, silly humor, and hyperbole abound, but so do the entertaining quotations from beloved masters of the English language that author Laurie E. Rozakis has managed to dig up. For every “The rules of standard written English are … more frightening than a sail on the Titanic,” there is an amusing tidbit such as this one, courtesy of Calvin Trillin: “Whom is a word invented to make everyone sound like a butler. Nobody who is not a butler has ever said it out loud without feeling just a little bit weird.” For every “Like my thighs, the distinction between that and which is becoming less firm,” we have someone such as James Thurber to show us how to break a rule in style. “When I split an infinitive,” Thurber is said to have admonished a meddlesome editor, “it is going to damn well stay split!” The text is highly energetic, and Rozakis cuts to the chase. For instance, she summarizes one chapter this way: “Don’t be a sexist pig; ditch doublespeak; end euphemisms; can clichés.” And she offers us these wise words, from Thomas Jefferson: “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”
From the Back Cover With this guide you’ll gain what you need to be a great communicator at home and on the job. It provides solid information on grammatical rules and how and when to use them, friendly advice for adding variety and style to your writing, and tips, definitions, and warnings to help you along the way.
Most helpful customer reviews
36 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
 Informative, yet entertaining
By BME
Truly, I’m not a complete idiot when it comes to grammar. But the English language is so screwed up that even experts admit to having trouble with it. This book will help explain some of the more problematic parts of grammar while keeping you entertained. I’ve read dozens of books on grammar, but they were all very dry and confusing. This is the first one that makes it all seem so simple. The author gives hints for remembering the rules about many of the more confusing elements of our language–like who/whom–which makes this book even more valuable. Through exercises and interesting sidenotes and facts, you’ll learn spelling tricks, the correct uses for colons and semicolons, when to use ‘lay’ and when to use ‘lie,’ and gobs of other things. Confused about predicates and prepositions? No problem. This book explains it. Need help with cover letters or memos? Bingo–this book will assist. It’s a wonderful book and one I can’t live without. The best grammar book I own.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
Laurie Rocks!
By A
This book is great. It has all the content of a dried-up grammar reference text, and NONE of the pain. Laurie is funny, direct, and great at communicating the relationship between grammatical functions and the purpose of writing.
This text can be used as a regular reference to check your work, or you can read it straight through. (Let’s see someone say that about Scott Foresman!) Thanks, Dr. Rozakis.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
 Informal and General Approach
By Todd Hawley
The subject of grammar is one that always had me cringing fairly quickly in English and Journalism classes I had in grammar school and again in high school. This is material that more often than not comes off as very dry. And yet grammar is very important in producing clear, concise and quality writing. This book goes a long way in demystifying and explaining the basics of grammar. And it does it in an informal way that makes it easier to grasp all the important concepts of grammar and style.
Every grammatical article, be it noun, verb, dangling participle, or adverb is covered here. Starting off with a basic over view of grammar in the first few chapters, the book then goes on to discuss parts of speech, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, prepositional phrases, clauses, even chapters on proper punctuation and spelling. It does all this in a way that keeps your attention. If only my English teachers way back when could have kept this material interesting.
There’s even a section near the book’s end about business writing, be it cover letters, resumes, memos or email. This proves how important good clear writing is in the business world as well as everywhere else. And also, this is a book you can refer back to when faced with a “grammar question,” since it’s also a good “grammar reference” book. If you do a lot of writing, either for business or pleasure this is an excellent book to have around.
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