A Canadian Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker

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If you have room for just one writer's reference beside your computer monitor or writing area, make it Diana Hacker's A Canadian Writer's Reference. This handbook answers all the questions of grammar, style, and format that come up while you are writing. Now in its third edition, A Canadian Writer's Reference stays up to date and grows with the times: the newest edition includes advice on the production of electronic documents and web site design as well as instructions for properly citing an electronic source in several citation systems.

A number of special features make this writer's reference particularly easy to use. A sturdy plastic coil binding makes it easy to open the book to any page and have it remain open on the desk while you work. It is easy to flip from page to page and from section to section. It's easy to find things as well: a main menu inside the front cover divides the book up into twelve sections - four under "Composition/Style," four under "Correctness," and the remainder under "Research/Basic Grammar." Within the text, these sections are easily located with index style tabs, and within each section there's a more detailed menu of the section contents. At the back of the book, writers find all of the section menus together in a single detailed menu inside the back cover as well as an index.

Special features of Diana Hacker's writer's reference include detailed instructions for using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) styles of documentation. There is a whole section written for speakers of English as a second language (ESL), and text boxes throughout the book highlighting ESL issues. Other text boxes contain quick checklists, examples to illustrate a point, or cautions about common problems with electronic grammar checkers.

A new feature for the third edition of A Canadian Writer's Reference is a companion website that greatly expands the content of the book for writers connected to the internet. Throughout the book, On the Web text boxes provide information about the web site content and how it can be integrated with material in the book. Web site content is particularly useful for students, who will find many practice exercises there.

Anyone searching for a comprehensive writer's handbook should consider A Canadian Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker. This invaluable book clearly describes the correct approach to problems with English composition, grammar, documentation and other writing pitfalls. While it is endlessly useful to all English speaking writers it is particularly valuable to students and those grappling with ESL issues. Earlier editions are still relevant; however, the most current edition provides the best value.

Hacker, Diana. A Canadian Writer's Reference 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004

ISBN: 0-312-41683-0

Rosemary Drisdelle is a freelance writer with a particular interest in science and health writing for a general audience. She is the author of "Birds" for Suite101.com, and is available for writing projects on a contract basis. Contact Attica Freelance Writers.

The Oxford Essential Writer's Reference (Book Review)

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As a long time devotee of Oxford publications, there is one small reference book I carry with me whenever I travel. This book, "The Oxford Essential Writer's Reference," fits neatly into a carry-on bag or a medium-sized purse. For so small a size, the aid this book can give to writers is tremendous.

These words in the prologue "A helpful way to think of this book is as a literary Swiss Army Knife" are very true, because so much is neatly arranged in this 368 page paperback. Just a quick look at the chapter headings is enough proof of this book's usefulness.

The book has nineteen chapters:

1 Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, and Usage guides

2. A List of the Most Commonly Used Foreign Words and Phrases

3. 100 Tricky Usage Problems and Pitfalls Explained

4. 100 Rare Fifty-Cent Words and Their Meanings

5. 125 Synonym Studies

6. Proofreader's Marks and What They Mean

7. Common Citation Styles

8. A List of Clich?s to Avoid

9. A List of Common Rhetorical Devices, Poetic Meters, and Forms

10. A Quick Guide to All the Plays of Shakespeare

11. A Timeline of Great Works of Literature in English

12. Biblical Quotes, Characters, and Books of the Bible

13. Major Mythological Characters

14. A List of Great Print Resources

15. A List of Writers' Advocacy Organizations

16. How to Copyright Your Work

17. A common-Sense Guide to Manuscript Formats

18.Great Websites for Writers

19. Forms of Address for Letter Writing

The few introductory paragraphs or one or two pages at the beginning of each chapter make some enjoyable reading on their own.

I found every part of the book to be indispensable, but synonym studies can be very useful to novice writers who may not have grasped the nuances in the meanings of some words. For example, on page 173, the differences between the words "get, acquire, attain, gain, obtain, procure, secure" are succinctly explained.

In the "Quick Guide to Shakespeare" after a two-page introduction to Shakespeare, each play's title, date, and theme are given, as well as one or two famous quotations and a list of characters. It is not an in-depth study of Shakespeare by any means, but it is a quick reference one can glance at when the heavier tomes are not within reach.

The Bible Quotations are given as book, chapter, and verse, after a few paragraphs that point to the importance of the Bible as the reference source by the most famous writers.

Published by Berkley with ISBN: 0425206890, "The Oxford Essential Writer's Reference" is also easy on the wallet. Listed to be sold for $6.99 in the bookstores, from online it can be bought new for about four dollars.

Whether a student, a novice or an experienced writer, or a person who has an interest in the language arts, "The Oxford Essential Writer's Reference" is a valuable book.

Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers. Her education is in linguistics.

Questions Writers Ask - Wise, Whimsical, and Witty Answers From the Pros by Karen Speerstra

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Age Old Questions Writer's Ask - Fresh Contemporary Answers

"Questions Writers Ask" is a surprising gift, a compilation of nearly 6,000 quotations addressing questions asked by real writers. Karen Speerstra has been painstakingly scrupulous in her task of gathering and selecting the quotes for this project.

Writers from the past some contemporaries, well known greats, recognized authors, and a number of upcoming more recent writers provide bits of wisdom, wit, insight and advice participating in a world wide forum in dialog across an imaginary common table.

Using a conversational approach, Karen presents fresh writing insights and small gems of wisdom explaining why writers write, practical ideas on play writing, poetry, comedy and satire. The quotes she uses are often funny, sometimes profound, and always enlightening or entertaining.

Among the twenty topics covered in the book, I personally appreciated the information on editors and publishers, the thoughts on handling criticism, and where writers get their ideas. I plan to implement many of the thoughts on personal writing: journals, diaries, and memoir. Getting started and facing up to writer's blocks were also very helpful. The chapter on writing specifically for children and adolescents is packed with information and inspiration.

Karen is the perfect one to compile this book. Her thirty year career in publishing encompasses writing, acquisitions, newspaper columns, curriculum writing, and developmental editing.

"Questions Writers Ask" is destined to become a classic. I am adding it to my own permanent library to be read and re-read often for sheer enjoyment.

Robert D. Reed Publishers, 978-1934759325

As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Free Lance Writer,