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.

I've been a professional editor (books and magazines) for more than 20 years, and Theodore Bernstein's book remains my hands-down favorite reference. The information is comprehensive, the explanations are crystal-clear AND often humorous, and the organization makes the book extremely easy to use. It has never failed me -- I turn to it for both my own questions and my co-workers' questions, and it always provides an answer. It's even fun to read!

This book belongs on every writer's and editor's bookshelf.

For those who've long lived with Bernstein's The Careful Writer and other titles, the Reverse Dictionary is just one more example of why he's essential to the word-conscious reader and writer. As the title implies, this dictionary takes you from definition to word and makes it possible for the mind of a certain age to regain all those terms that have slipped from the tip of the tongue to some less accessible region. The perfect enhancement for after-dinner conversation -- a must for the diningroom reference shelf.

finally a book explaining how to properly use "that" and "which" in terms every man can understand.

Here's the deal: Take a weekend to read through the 256 pages of this inexpensive, easy-to-read reference guide and you'll soon know more about English usage than 95% of the people you work with. Even the English majors, I kid you not.

You'll soon gain the reputation of being the office wordsmith. People will look at you differently. You'll gain more respect. And you'll get a 120% raise come review time. (OK, maybe you won't get a raise, but you will feel pretty darn knowledgable. Oh, what a feeling.)

God bless you, Mr. Bernstein, wherever you are. I just wish I had all of your books when I was still in college.

This book is arranged alphabetically like a dictionary, but to my mind this is much more than that. This book will help you when you need to know "All or All of?" or "Affect or Effect?". And it will also let you know some facts hidden behind grammar rules. I didn't know why the words "a six-foot man" are used instead of "a six-feet man". This book told me that this derives from Old English, which had no distinctive plural sign. I have learned lots of interesting facts or information about the proper use of English words, correct punctuation and confusing problems involved in learning English. No one will find this book unintersting. I strongly recommend this to all students of English.