What do you think?
Rate this book
Your Own Words
If you have a language question, where do you go for the answer? How do you keep proper syntax from sounding stiff, and, on the other hand, how do you keep conversational language from being embarrassingly incorrect?
Barbara Wallraff, the author of The Atlantic 's Word Court column, offers answers to these crucial questions. On one level, Your Own Words is a guide to using and understanding language references--dictionaries, thesauruses, stylebooks, usage guides, grammars, writing guides, and the Internet--with emphasis on how the different kinds of resources can help you answer different kinds of questions.
On a deeper level, however, Your Own Words is about how to make good form your own. It helps you turn these various, often contradictory references into the tools that every experienced and confident user of language needs.In the world of language commentary, Barbara Wallraff offers an unequaled combination of authority, accessibility, and popularity. Her book shows you how to develop a genuine style that's both correct and personal–a style that expresses you at your best. Illuminated throughout with anecdotes and selections from the Word Court columns, Your Own Words does what very few books on usage even It shows every reader--amateur, professional, student, or graduate--how to think about what goes into good style.
"I think her judgment is flawless. I never disagree with her." --Jack Miles, author of A Biography
Barbara Wallraff, the author of The Atlantic 's Word Court column, offers answers to these crucial questions. On one level, Your Own Words is a guide to using and understanding language references--dictionaries, thesauruses, stylebooks, usage guides, grammars, writing guides, and the Internet--with emphasis on how the different kinds of resources can help you answer different kinds of questions.
On a deeper level, however, Your Own Words is about how to make good form your own. It helps you turn these various, often contradictory references into the tools that every experienced and confident user of language needs.In the world of language commentary, Barbara Wallraff offers an unequaled combination of authority, accessibility, and popularity. Her book shows you how to develop a genuine style that's both correct and personal–a style that expresses you at your best. Illuminated throughout with anecdotes and selections from the Word Court columns, Your Own Words does what very few books on usage even It shows every reader--amateur, professional, student, or graduate--how to think about what goes into good style.
"I think her judgment is flawless. I never disagree with her." --Jack Miles, author of A Biography
292 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 11, 2008
I picked this book out last week at my local library. The author is pleasantly humorous and the book has been a wonderful read. If more young people (middle-high schoolers) were taught how to use reference books I believe that they would greatly improve their research skills. The author discusses that these books are incredible resources. By understanding the ways dictionaries are set up a person can improve their language skills.
When I was in school I do not remember being taught how to use a dictionary, thesaurus or any other reference book. My English classes were based on grammar or literature, nothing else. The teachers I had presumed that we knew how to research and would assign a paper topic without much guidance. For me it wasn't incredibly difficult. I have enjoyed libraries all my life I was happy to spend hours learning how to find books on my own. I can't take all the credit for my genius. My mother is a big fan of reading she was my first research instructor. She taught me how to use the card catalog (the non-computerized kind) at the age of six. She believed it was important to know how to find information, and of course to read regularly.
It wasn't until I went to college that I needed to go to the library to do extensive research. Of course my past experience made me pretty good at finding information, a dandy skill come 3am the day before the term paper was due. I was (still am) excited to learn about all the other sources of information. By this time the use of electronic databases for research was becoming acceptable and was something new for me to learn. As we move further into the electronic age and rely more on digital resources we shouldn't be so hasty. You still can find a wealth of information in the basic reference materials.
Maybe I should start reading that old dictionary again.
When I was in school I do not remember being taught how to use a dictionary, thesaurus or any other reference book. My English classes were based on grammar or literature, nothing else. The teachers I had presumed that we knew how to research and would assign a paper topic without much guidance. For me it wasn't incredibly difficult. I have enjoyed libraries all my life I was happy to spend hours learning how to find books on my own. I can't take all the credit for my genius. My mother is a big fan of reading she was my first research instructor. She taught me how to use the card catalog (the non-computerized kind) at the age of six. She believed it was important to know how to find information, and of course to read regularly.
It wasn't until I went to college that I needed to go to the library to do extensive research. Of course my past experience made me pretty good at finding information, a dandy skill come 3am the day before the term paper was due. I was (still am) excited to learn about all the other sources of information. By this time the use of electronic databases for research was becoming acceptable and was something new for me to learn. As we move further into the electronic age and rely more on digital resources we shouldn't be so hasty. You still can find a wealth of information in the basic reference materials.
Maybe I should start reading that old dictionary again.
March 3, 2013
A professor assigned this book to my copyediting class in an attempt to give us an interesting read. I’ll admit the beginning of the book was great. In fact, the whole class preferred this far more than our workbook – though, considering how mind-numbingly boring it was, that’s hardly a compliment. Most find the subject of copyediting very dull, including myself. But that first chapter just made it sound so exciting. Unfortunately, it slid downhill from there.
Wallraff tries sprucing things up with personal stories. Initially, I both learned from and was entertained by those examples. But she had waaay too many. I could have done with one or two per tidbit of knowledge. It got to the point where most of the chapter detailed her little anecdotes over the actual material. That would have been fine, if she really walked me through the process. Instead, she just glossed over it and I started tuning out as I read.
In the end, the professor admitted defeat and stopped assigning us the reading after the fourth or so chapter. I think the bottom line is that copyediting is extremely boring. This isn’t an impulse buy sort of book. It’s like talking about the best ways to dry your nail polish. Is it useful? Well, a bit. She did go over some new information for me. But good luck reading the whole thing. While workbooks are just as boring, at least the activities engage the readers a bit.
A fellow classmate and reviewer summed it up perfectly: “The only thing more boring than reading the dictionary may be reading about someone critiquing a dictionary.”
Wallraff tries sprucing things up with personal stories. Initially, I both learned from and was entertained by those examples. But she had waaay too many. I could have done with one or two per tidbit of knowledge. It got to the point where most of the chapter detailed her little anecdotes over the actual material. That would have been fine, if she really walked me through the process. Instead, she just glossed over it and I started tuning out as I read.
In the end, the professor admitted defeat and stopped assigning us the reading after the fourth or so chapter. I think the bottom line is that copyediting is extremely boring. This isn’t an impulse buy sort of book. It’s like talking about the best ways to dry your nail polish. Is it useful? Well, a bit. She did go over some new information for me. But good luck reading the whole thing. While workbooks are just as boring, at least the activities engage the readers a bit.
A fellow classmate and reviewer summed it up perfectly: “The only thing more boring than reading the dictionary may be reading about someone critiquing a dictionary.”
October 5, 2013
My library included this in a hidden gems display. Target audience is primarily editors and word nerds, and Wallraff explains resource tools for resolving usage and other thorny questions. Interesting reference, but not really for a casual reader.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews