Customer Reviews

Stylebook and Libel Manual

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While the media run rampant with flimsy leads and stories based solely on hearsay, it's good to know that at least their grammar stays in check, thanks to the hard and fast rules set forth in the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

Providing direct distinctions between similar words, the correct spelling of commonly-misspelled words, and the politically-correct use of dangerous words, the AP stylebook delineates specific style rules for virtually every journalistic possibility. Set up in a dictionary-style format, the manual's general stylebook lists everything from the perils of "a" versus "an" to the preferred usage of ZIP codes.

Following the stylebook are the more specific sections dealing with sports and business style, both also set up with A to Z listings, including usage and spelling. Although sports writing info may be confined to the needs of the sportswriter, the business section is helpful for those who take interest in corporate designations and definitions of stock market terms.

Finally, just before the manual switches from the absoluteness of style to the murky legal waters of the libel section, comes, in my opinion, the pièce de résistance-A Guide To Punctuation-music to the ears of syntax-psychos and grammar-Nazis, alike.

Starting with words of wisdom from what the AP refers to as "a bible of writers," "The Elements of Style," this portion is eleven pages of invaluable knowledge for any writer, regardless of profession, and is arranged so succintly that even children can access its information for their own use.

Although I have thus far had little use for the information about libel in this book, it is primarily what its introduction claims-not a libel text, but merely a useful guide which "explains the fundamental principles in libel for working writers and editors." It also contains some key parts of the Freedom of Information Act which should be read by everyone to fully know our rights regarding the access to federal information, during what has now become the Age of the X-file.

All-in-all, the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual should be a welcome edition to any writer's reference library.

The AP Stylebook and Libel Manual is hands down the most useful single reference book on the English language. Particularly helpful are clear discussions of possessives, punctuation, and other nuts and bolts issues. And it doesn't weigh a ton, either.

In my first year of taking Journalism we learned proper terms, usage, and punctuation for a newspaper through the AP Stylebook. My teacher, ex-editor turned Journalism teacher, taught us why these rules exist, and how to put them to use in our own writing by giving us tests on certain terms and word usage. I didn't like taking them but am grateful for learning that words like "controversial" and "definitely" should be avoided, and that Frisbee is a brand name. When copy-editing this book is handy and gets us through petty arguments over how a certain word should be fixed to meet the standards. It is a very helpful Journalism reference book.

The AP Stylebook is not a page-turner. It is not going to keep you from sleeping at night, not wanting to put the book down. However, for professional, and amateur, journalists, it is a must. The book will keep you from losing sleep while thinking about errors made in text or other realms of media. It IS an invaluable tool for those in newswriting, broadcast, internet publishing and formal writing.

As a high school newspaper adviser (notice, "adviser") for eight years, I highly recommend every journalism teacher show his/her students the ins and outs of the AP Stylebook. It's funny, but students would rather get right into writing and ignore the minor details. But later in the year, when those pesky questions come up ("If this is going to be an annual event, should it be called 'first annual'?"), I look at them and they suddenly remember. "Oh yeah, I'll go look it up," is their response. If the students move on to the next level, they will be one step ahead of those who have no clue. I also appreciate the wonderful sections on puntuation/proper usage as well as sports; they are often referred to in order to sharpen the monthly paper. It's worth purchasing three or four copies of the book and leave them next to the computers where the students work. The manuals will get used by the more serious students. (The lazy journalism students...well, there's not much hope for them anyway! Maybe they'll become publishers one day.) Finally, I recommend the spiral-bound copies. They're much more durable for the long haul.

This is the best reference for consistency in writing for public reading. All those nagging questions about what is correct will be answered in this book for journalists. Did you know that you only capitalize a person's academic title when it precedes their name?

I have and use this book daily, BUT beware. I ordered this version of the AP Style Guide, and it is NOT the most current version. There is more recent version of the book that includes Internet terms. I do recommend this book, but make sure that you order the most recent edition.

I work as a copy editor for a newspaper, and I can't get along without the AP Stylebook. Each copy editor has the latest edition next to his or her computer -- it is an essential tool for anyone in the newspaper profession!

For example, say you're writing a news story on the latest rumors surrounding a high political official. Is this person "indiscreet" or "indiscrete"?

If you have your trusty AP Stylebook handy, you'd soon discover the correct term is "indiscreet." The Stylebook gives the proper spelling and usage of each word, so you won't choose the wrong one -- and risk having to run a correction in the next day's paper.

The AP Stylebook is an indispensible reference tool for anyone in a writing profession.

The Assoicated Press has done an excellent job of compiling and indexing words which are frequently questioned in news writing. The general index contains the correct format for most unusual words. It also has helpful mini-sections on the accepted style for typical elements in news writing, such as a small section on how to format times in articles and when they should be used. The book has a separate section for business and sports writing and includes an informative manual on libel. Simply a must for any professional or academic journalist.

The AP Stylebook is certainly a valuable reference for writers and editors, but it's not invaluable -- it costs $12 at Amazon. It's a sad commentary on the state of American reading, writing, and thinking that numerous reviewers who purport to be familiar with the Stylebook refer to it as "invaluable." Further, prospective buyers should keep in mind that although the Stylebook is one of a number of useful guides to newswriting, other references (e.g., Chicago Manual, Strunk & White, Words into Type) are probably more appropriate for other types of writing.