Author: Lynne Truss

Publisher: Gotham

Pub. in: April, 2006

ISBN: 1592402038

Pages: 240

Measurements: 7.2 x 5 x 0.7 inches

Origin of product: USA

Order code: BC00301

Other information: ISBN-13: 978-1592402038
Reprint edition

A classic #1 New York Times bestseller
An U.K. #1 bestseller
over 3 million copies sold

A panda enters a restaurant, orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. The reason: according to the wildlife manual that he carries he is supposed to behave this way: a panda "eats, shoots and leaves". How one comma too many can change the life of a peaceful animal like a panda.

As the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation is a small book you'll want to stuff in your pocket for the next flight or train trip to pass the time, with the guidance on the dash, hyphen, colon, semicolon, and more in this little volume.

This book will change your life in small, perfect ways like learning how to make better coffee or fold an omelet. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who cares about grammar and a gentle introduction for those who don’t care enough. The title of this book comes from the kind of problem that people can encounter in the difference between spoken language and written language. While Truss clearly explains the rules for the usage of various punctuation marks, it's more of an entertaining read rather than a reference book.

Lynne Truss so eloquently expresses the frustration that many of us feel when we see inept and haphazard use of punctuation, especially when this incorrect punctuation is published or found on permanent signage. Her temperament inclines to "zero tolerance", but in practice Truss recognizes the need for flexibility. The written presentation of our language is dynamic and continues to evolve. The preservation of punctuation rather than a fussy observance of rules is her goal.

Truss makes a serious point simply enough and she is best when she demonstrates how two sentences, for example, identical in every way except for their punctuation marks, can have opposite meanings:

A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.

Truss does provide the reader with excellent guidance beyond the apostrophe and comma when she discusses the attenuated history of other punctuation marks and their usages such as dashes, brackets and other sexy marks. She makes a fervent plea for the preservation of our current system of punctuation as opposed to the blatantly nonintellectual and barbaric system prevalent in a world embracing email and blogs. In a complicated, poetic, and dangerous world punctuation can help render thoughts with clarity. Punctuation is both the sign and the cause of clear thinking. In legal, political, and personal matters this should be remembered.

In a word, at barely 200 pages, this book is a fun, quick read. Moreover, it is a poignant reminder that, in a world obsessed with email, instant messaging, and blogging; in most cases, one must still possess the skills to craft a well-written letter in his or her chosen profession. This book will be most appreciated by those of who pay close attention to detail, not only in their own writing, but also in the writings of others.

Target readers: Readers aged up 9

Better with Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! :

			2 Buy with : ¥ 276.00
			Quantity:  +112345678910