Rating: 
Summary: An excellent companion reference.
Review: The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications is an excellent companion to a more traditional Manual, such as the Chicago Guide. The work is well written in an easy-to-read format, using clear, concise language. The accompanying CD is a terrific addition, as it provides a way to read the manual in a quick, online manner. The e-book Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary is a great bonus.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive, concise, and logical
Review: This book would be excellent to use in developing a company style guide, or it will help you out until you have time to develop a company style guide. It will also help in resolving departmental word-choice squabbles, such as whether to use "click" or "click on". And if it seems odd to tell users to "check the check box," what do you tell them?I needed this book years ago--now that I have it, I reach for it all the time. While I don't always follow its suggestions exactly, it offers me a non-trendy second opinion on technical style issues. Its straight A-Z dictionary format makes information easy to find, too. Perhaps a curious note of trivia is suitable here: the on-line help systems in many Microsoft products were not developed according to this style guide. This is unfortunate, as I find this style guide helps me write clear, approachable on-line help better than any other style guide I've seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Good reference book
Review: This is a great desktop book. It isn't as comprehensive as I would like but it's definitely a good start.
Rating:
Summary: How to look real good--even if it is Microsoft
Review: This is an outstanding publication for anyone who uses Microsoft products, particularly Word. The genius is in its simplicity. Organized alphabetically, with tabbed pages, the index is almost unnecessary. The two Appendii, "List of Acronyms and Abbreviations" and "Special Characters" are helpful, but probably won't get much use here. A CD-ROM comes with the book, but it's faster to pick up the book and go straight to the information you need. (I love books.) The information is comprehensive, easy to find, easy to read and understand. Several screen shots "show, don't tell". Bonus: there's plenty to disagree with. Even though it is thoroughly Microsoftesque, it probably will become the standard which serious computer users rely upon. Professionals and novices can use this book on a daily basis. There's a great education in this book. I wish I had written it. It not only covers the basics (grammar, punctuation and the like), but standardizes many terms and functions relating to computers, the Web, Help systems--even ordinary documents. Macintosh computer users will find great information here, too. If you want your work to look good, this book should be on your desk.
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: This third edition reflects the changes in the world of writing manuals, not just for print but also online (the web, online help, etc). While it's been a few years since the previous edition, Microsoft has made up for that by changing the book's format and including three "ebooks" on the CD (the style guide itself, Microsoft Computer Dictionary, and the Microsoft Networking Dictionary) that comes with the book. The previous edition had all subjects alphabetized, which has changed somewhat in this edition has changed that. The book's first part is devoted to alphabetized subjects (called the Usage Dictionary). However the book's first part is devoted to other writing topics, ones which the book's authors obviously felt deserved their own major sections. Subjects like "documenting the user interface," format and layout, global content, indexing, common style issues, grammar, and punctuation. All topics in the book's first part are discussed throughly. And topics not discussed in the first part are addressed alphabetically in Part 2 of the book titled the "Usage Dictionary." The book's Table of Contents lists each item in the Usage Dictionary for easy referral. I also liked how the authors recognized the changing world of documentation in the introduction where they point out how people using computers can be anyone from "home users," who use their computer for simple tasks, all the way to software developers, who produce programs for computers. While this is intended for writers documenting Windows software, it serves well on its own as an excellent style guide.
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