Rating: 
Summary: Confused!
Review: I haven't yet finished reading this book, but I feel compelled to respond to some of the criticism. I'd like to see some examples of what the one reviewer finds readable, if he or she finds this highly entertaining AND informative book "not very readable". Although I may not be learning the rules of punctuation through this book, I am learning a lot about the theory and reason behind most of the punctuation marks that are used (and that are not used) today. Here's a special note to some of those negative reviewers: sometimes understanding the theory is more helpful than learning the rules themselves.
Rating:
Summary: My life's work now means something
Review: As an English teacher, I often cringe at the types of grammatical errors that Lynne Truss covers in her latest book, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. This is a wonderfully accessible book for those who want to learn more about punctuation but who were afraid to ask. The information covered is what we should have all learned in junior high--They call it grammar school for a reason, after all. Anyway, this is a fun and very readable approach to punctuation and will help you become a better writer and communicator.
Rating:
Summary: Publisher's mistake
Review: I found it rather disappointing that what first greets my eyes upon seeing the cover was a grammatical error. In the subtitle to the book, two nouns are used to modify a third noun (Zero Tolerance Approach). At the least, "Zero Tolerance" should be hyphenated. This same mistake is repeated on the title's page.I assume that this was done by the American publisher. (Generally, authors have no say over the jacket-cover's appearance.) I am surprised that Ms. Truss didn't choke on her tea during her American book-tour, upon seeing the cover. The book itself is a delight, and compares favorably to Karen Elizabeth Gordon's book "The Well-Tempered Sentence," which was published in 1983.
Rating: 
Summary: If only everyone learned this much in high school.....
Review: Although I didn't seek out this book - it was more or less dropped into my lap - I'm very glad that I read it. I am definitely a stickler for punctuation. It's gotten me into trouble, even. While the book is a bit difficult to read at times (I had some problems translating British words into their American equivalents, and some sections just seemed to drag on and on) I think this book should be practically handed out to every high school student. It baffles me how people manage to go through life without knowing how to use an apostrophe. Literature professors and grammar and punctuation sticklers like myself will love this book from cover to cover, but even those who aren't should at least skim through it. The humor alone is worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not: very readable
Review: There's been too much hype. The book is very short with a very long prologue and yet is still difficult to read. The most I've gotten from it is that punctuation is important and that there are some humorous examples of how adding or omitting punctuation marks can have dramatic effects on meaning.
Rating:
Summary: Long winded but lots of fun!
Review: Grammarians will certainly enjoy this cheeky and informative read, identifying with many of the bright author's pet peeves (or is it peeve's!?). It does go on a bit too long for the casual reader, but it's definitely a must-have for the collection of any avid reader or writer.
Rating:
Summary: Good, entertaining survey
Review: Lynne Truss has got it absolutely right with this witty and insightful look at the use and misuse of punctuation. Too often, people defend the ghastly misuses of, say, apostrophes these days with the assertion that languages evolve. Indeed they do, but that is no excuse for the kind of sloppiness that renders the language incomprehensible at times. That's not evolution, it's degradation. Lynne Truss shows us why punctuation matters as a tool in the written language. I'd recommend this book both as a good read and as a concise reference work. It deals, of course, with British English. Maybe one day someone will produce a similar work on American English, or a comparative overview. Now that really would be worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Solace for those who cringe at ¿Ladie¿s hairdressers¿
Review: Lynne Truss is a very funny woman who has an "inner stickler" aching to ride around, vigilante-like, with a bucket of white paint eliminating punctuation errors (such as the one in the title above) from public life. But instead she has written a simple, short book on the unlikely topic of punctuation. If you are the sort of person who cringes when someone writes a phrase like "the penguin has it's detractors," you will occasionally find yourself pumping your fist in the air exclaiming "Yes! Yes!" in agreement with Truss's no-nonsense, no-excuses, laff-riot approach. If you have little interest in punctuation-or even if you are frightened and suspicious of it-Truss is still worth a go. Her objective is to convince you that punctuation is a thoughtful friend rather than a dictator. For example, consider these alternative phrases and their varying interpretations, from Handel's Messiah: "Comfort ye my people" (please go out and comfort my people) versus
"Comfort ye, my people" (just cheer up, you lot; it might never happen) Pretty different, eh? Without the comma, poor Handel risked being misunderstood. Truss is humorous rather than unforgiving; she even permits Americans their habit (strange to the British) of putting closing quotes after all other punctuation, and their preference for the "Oxford comma." And if you want to know what an "Oxford comma" is, read the book and be wittily enlightened.
Rating:
Summary: A quick read -- and you'll learn something!
Review: This is a great book (and a quick read!) that will appeal to several kinds of people:
- those who are sticklers for punctuation
- those who missed out on learning about punctuation in school
- and those who don't understand why some people care so much about punctuation. The book presents many basic rules of punctuation in a fun way. It's a good book for people interested in learning or reviewing punctuation marks: apostrophes, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation marks, question marks, quotations marks, and dashes. Don't skip the last chapter. It's an insightful discussion of the future of punctuation and the impacts of email and text messaging on traditional punctuation, grammar, and spelling rules. Truss makes a good case for not abandoning traditional punctuation conventions, while still being open to changes caused by technology and social norms. As an English teacher, I would have liked to have seen a little more coverage of basic grammatical concepts to help readers understand the "why" of punctuation. However, by keeping her focus on punctuation, Truss makes the book a quick, entertaining and insightful read. As a little bonus, because the author is British, the book also makes the reader aware of the differences between British and American punctuation conventions. U.S. readers, in particular, may be surprised to know that the conventions they learned in school regarding whether to put the puncutation inside or outside of quotation marks are different in British English. There are many other subtle differences as well, which are great for anyone to know in this global economy. So overall, take the time to read this book. You may not agree with every bit of it, but it will make you think, and you'll definitely learn something!
Rating:
Summary: Nitpickers rejoice!
Review: I've heard that some teachers were disappointed in the book because they had unreasonable expectations for it. I'm the kind of person who proof-reads menus, church bulletins and (of course) the daily papers. My husband relies on me to check his papers. We both LOVED it and recommended it to our sons. It's fun, it's entertaining and you might even learn something.
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