Rules for Writers, 5th Edition [Spiral-bound]

Diana Hacker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312406851 | ISBN-13: 978-0312406851 | Publication Date: July 22, 2003 | Edition: 5th

Rules for Writers succeeds because it has always been grounded in classroom experience. By looking at her own students needs, Diana Hacker created an affordable and practical classroom tool that doubles as a quick reference. Developed with the help of instructors from two- and four-year schools, the sixth edition gives students quick access to the information they need to solve writing problems in any college course.In the Hacker tradition, the new contributing authors — Nancy Sommers, Tom Jehn, Jane Rosenzweig, and Marcy Carbajal Van Horn have crafted solutions for the writing problems of today s college students. Together they give us a new edition that provides more help with academic writing and research and one that works better for a wider range of multilingual students. Flexible content options in print and online allow students to get more than they pay for.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Too many handbooks are absolutely cluttered. I appreciate Rules for Writers for its simplicity and ease of use. Allegra Blake, ICentral Michigan University My students are busier than ever before. I like that is compact enough for them to have in their backpacks at all times. They also benefit from the always-available online help. --Diana Hacker --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

DIANA HACKER personally class-tested her handbooks with nearly four thousand students over 35 years at Prince George s Community College in Maryland, where she was a member of the English faculty. Hacker handbooks, built on innovation and on a keen understanding of the challenges facing student writers, are the most widely adopted in America. Other Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin s, include The Bedford Handbook, Seventh Edition (2006);A Writer s Reference, Sixth Edition (2007); and Pocket Style Manual, Fifth Edition (2008). teaches composition and directs the Writing Across the Disciplines program at Harvard University. A recipient of numerous teaching awards both at Harvard and at the University of Virginia, he also leads professional development seminars on writing instruction for public high school teachers.<BR><BR><B>JANE ROSENZWEIG</B> teaches composition and directs the writing center at Harvard University. She has also taught writing at Yale University and the University of Iowa.<BR><BR><B>MARCY CARBAJAL VAN HORN,</B> Assistant Professor of English and ESL at Santa Fe Community College (FL), teaches composition to native and nonnative speakers of English and teaches the Advanced ESL Writing course. <B></B></DIV></DIV></DIV> --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 585 pages
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's; 5th edition (July 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312406851
• ISBN-13: 978-0312406851
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, better than the Bedford Handbook, June 2, 2006

By 

Tony Thomas (SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rules for Writers, 5th Edition (Spiral-bound)

The college where I teach English composition used Rules for Writers as the Handbook for three or four years. It now uses the Bedford Handbook. I found Rules for Writers to be very full and useful for every aspect of teaching, not only grammar and punctuation, but for composition and research writing as well. It tends to have fairly exhaustive explanations of most points of grammar. It has an especially good section on ESOL problems. All in all, it is a practical useful book that I keep on my writing desk for my own use, even though it is no longer used in our classes.

I was usually able to teach my courses without using any other text other than this book and the required reader. Before we had Rules and currently with the Bedford Handbook (also by Daina Hacker), I had to rely on handouts taken from the internet to emphasize areas like MLA documentation and developing cohesion in paragraphs and essays or to provide remedial materials for students with problems. With Rules for Writers, and also with the Little, Brown Handbook, another good handbook, I found better supplementary materials right in the book than anything I found on the Net.

The biggest problem with Rules for Writers is its spiral bound soft cover format. This book does not hold up. Pages fall out, the cover falls off, and the book gets banged up. I would have to replace it every semester, if only not to be embarassed by the wrecked appearance my copy would have when it was time to display the textbook on the first day of class!

Now as a professor who gets free textbooks, that is not a big problem. However, for students who are simply robbed blind paying for text books and may be required to use a handbook like this in a series of classes--and should always keep a handbook like this for reference in and out of school--having a book that falls apart and constantly needs replacing can be financial murder.

Still, I prefer this book to the Bedford Handbook. The Bedford Handbook is handbook in name only and does not have as many features or as deep coverage as books like Rules for Writers or the Little, Brown Handbook. It is a kind of dumbing down of the information here. Visually the Bedford Handbook is better as a visual object and has nice illustrations, charts and pictures. It is also well integrated with Diana Hacker's maze of web sites. However, if any professor is trying to decide between the Bedford and Rules for Writers, get Rules for Writers.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some things get even better with time, February 11, 2006

By 

Lisa Taylor Huff "Freelance writer & author o... (Paris, France (formerly a "Jersey Girl")) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rules for Writers, 5th Edition (Spiral-bound)

When I was a freshman in college (circa 1979), the official reference book for my honors English Comp class was "Rules for Writers, 2nd ed." And I still have that book on my bookshelf. When I discovered the book was still in publication and in its 5th edition (spiral-bound and fully updated to include the technology issues writers face), I had to have it.

No matter how much you THINK you know about the rules of writing, grammar and punctuation, there's always something else you can learn. This book can benefit you whether you are a professional writer, a student, a business person, or someone for whom English is your second language and you want to improve your writing skills. Well-organized and indexed, with easy-to-understand examples, this little book seems to have it all.

Add it to your reference library! Some things really are almost timeless.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for students, February 3, 2001

By 

Joel Peck (Boston, Ma. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rules for Writers: A Brief Handbook (Spiral-bound)

I found this book a useful tool for people who need a helping hand in their writing. It's not for the person looking for a quick referance. There are many helpful exercise to help you better understand you writing problems.