The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing

by Casey Miller, Kate Swift

Uses hundreds of examples, mainly from published writing, to show how to avoid or correct sexism, demonstrating that nonsexist writing produces unambiguous copy that reflects changes in society

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Writing, Language, Reference, Gender, Business

Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering this second edition was written in the late 80s, I did not expect it to be as relevant as it was. Whether that's praise for the book or condemnation at how little society has progressed in 30-odd years is up in the air, but this is a fantastic resource that makes a lot of great points, many of which I hadn't considered before. It went way deeper in to the history of English as an androcentric language than I was expecting, and it doesn't read at all like a dictionary. I'd be interested to see how a new edition would differ, because it makes a few recommendations in terms that would now be considered dated. Even so, I can think of a few people who would benefit from being beaten over the head with this book.

[kylajaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the perfect marriage of my majors, English and Women's Studies. I never realized all the ways that our language can be sexist. It is not only the way we construct sentences but the terms we use for women that make them "other." I subscribe to a lot of magazines, and even those magazines by and for women are often sexist when writing about the female cover star. In a recent issue of Allure, for example, it was proclaimed that Victoria Beckham "almost" made you forget about her "hot husband." Even though she is one of the few celebrities to take her husband's name, I cannot imagine she was particularly thrilled with that heading. Nor should she be. English is a wonderful language with so many uses, and it's time to start embracing the linguistic possibilities for women.

[J A (One of the many Jennifers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My battered copy from the late 80's remains. Gender inclusive language is more important than ever before. They were the first to creatively approach the problem in specific workable ways. It earns its place on the shelf.

[Sarabjot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious book. It's a must read.

Chapter 4, "Seeing Women and Girls as People." A+++

If anything in this book is a surprise to you, you're beyond help.