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Summary: This book is an invaluable resource for all writers.
Review: 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.
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Summary: The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law
Review: A guide to usage, this is a manual of style for words and subjects commonly encountered in news writing, designed to help writers make correct choices and instruct users about media law. The bulk of the work is "The Stylebook," an alphabetical list of the Associated Press's rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, and usage; for example, "Hispanic" is the "preferred term for those whose ethnic origin is in a Spanish-speaking country," and "Chicano" should be avoided as a synonym for Mexican American. The stylebook offers information on such thorny matters as military titles, titles of nobility, and metric and temperature conversions. Special sections include an Internet guide with terms for sports and business guidelines and style and a briefing on media law, explaining such things as libel law, fair reporting, the right of privacy, and media applications related to the First Amendment. The work's audience clearly includes journalists and anyone who writes for the news media, as well as students at all levels, particularly those interested in journalism.
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Summary: Badly In Need of an update...
Review: I agree with most reviewers, that this is a usefull book, but just because it serves a purpose, doesn't mean one should think uncriticaly of it. The most important thing is that this is a resource for both journalists and students, and because it is so essential, it is imparative that we address some problems with this book: Namely that the world has changed and the AP Stylebook has not kept up. By nature, this book is essential. It fills a very real need. It supplies an essential and uniform standard for the composition of news writting. For this function, the book deserves five stars, however because this function is so essential, it requiers an up to date standard, and untill this book comes up to pace with the modern times, I will withold three of those stars. When I say it is not up to date, a great example of what I mean comes with the current frequency of the need to use Arabic names. The book provides no clear standard for this. The Arabic name Al Queda, for instance, has become quite common place, but news organizations have struggled with how exactly to quote this name. Most of the trouble centers around the singular nomonative case article ('al') which of course translates as 'the.' Thus, Al Queda has also been cited as The Queda, or even just Queda. If the whole invaluable point of the book is standardize the language used in reporting, then it needs to address the newest issues in the news and the vocabulary that has rocketed into our headlines from out of nowhere in the last few years. Also, as bad as what is left out may be, it is not nearly as bad as what is left in. For instance, the book suggest that the proper way to refer to Mainland China is "Red China." Even worse, the book explains that the uncapitalized term 'god' is used to refer to *false* gods, whereas the capitalized term 'God' is used to refer to the *one true god.* For me this is particularly offensive, and on the whole, these are just a couple of the examples of the sort of antiquated and obnoxious McCarthy-era media manipulations that for some reason still haunt us through the AP Style Manual. In the end, these problems are all easy to fix, and this book comes out in new editions all the time. I believe it performs an essential function, of standardizing the terms used by the media, which should reduce biased manipulation of language (as opposed to encouraging them, as in the examples I have given). I worked journalism in College, and I even won a few awards. I credit much of this to the ideas and applications behind the AP Style manual. Not only does it do a great service to journalism and reporting, but also, it teaches an elegant and simple way of writting, succinctly and to the point without sacraficing depth and sophistication. I was once told by a gifted Classicist, after reading both Herodotus and Thucidides, that although it would be easy to lapse into writting like Herodotus, one really should strive to write like Thucidides. The best way I can explain Thucidides' style in modern terms is to equate that aspiration with reading and observing the concepts in the Associate Press Stylebook.
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Summary: Must-have for journalists, great for everyone
Review: I'm a journalism minor and this book is a must-have. However, after looking though the book and using it several times, it would be great for anyone who does any kind of writing. It tells you how to spell works, how they should be capitalized, and other things like that. For journalists: it helps put things into the format that your newspaper editor or broadcast producer wants. It also keeps your stories in line with the AP's guidelines. It is a great tool to have on your desk, just in case you aren't sure. The entries are in alphabetical order, so what you're looking for will be easy to find.
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Summary: JOURNALISTS DO IT AP STYLE!
Review: Okay...so you want to be a journalist? Well, get this book, because this is the Bible of journalism. Get this book, consult it often when you're writing (and you may find yourself purusing its pages even when you're not working on a story) and pretty soon you'll be the envy of your friends, when you dispense such knowledge as the fact that the "W" in Web site is capitalized, or that it is incorrect to refer to copying a document as "Xerox-ing," for Xerox is a brand name. Such information, and much, much more can only be obtained from this book.
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Summary: Good Stylebook
Review: Other than the fact that the AP book is dry, it gives good examples on standard usage and prescribes when to use certain words and when NOT to use certain terms. I would not suggest trying to read this in one shot. (As our teacher had us read this 2-3 letters at a time.) The entries are deep and detailed and take a bit of digestion before fully processing them and putting them into use. Overall, however, it is an excellent style book.
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Summary: Keeping In Style
Review: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK is one of many stylebooks on the market which offer direction in the choices we make as writers. No writer, email user, student, or English speaker should be without a stylebook and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK is the one I have always chosen to use. This edition is designed to be useful, both in its portability as well as in its spiral binding which allows any page to be opened flat upon the desk, leaving the hands free for the writing task.
Style choices are often neither right nor wrong, but one should be consistent in, for example, the way certain words are spelled when alternate spellings are equally in use (ketchup, Hanukkah, doughnut rather than catsup, Chanukah, donut), the way certain abbreviations are represented (a.m., p.m. rather than AM, PM; Ariz. rather than AZ) as well as capitalization choices (tollhouse cookies; the King of England and the English king). THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK is an extremely useful guide in helping the writer make these choices uniform throughout his writing.
Another very useful feature of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK is its extensive listing of commonly misused and misspelled words, trademarked words, and company names. Many of the listings include factual references which, though primarily designed for use by journalists are also helpful to the general writing public (such as where the headquarters of major companies are located, which colleges comprise the Pac-10, etc.). Some facts may be less useful, though still interesting (frankfurters became known as hot dogs in 1906 after cartoonist T.A. Dorgan depicted a dachshund inside a bun).
Inexpensive and invaluable, there is no reason why THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK should not be in any writer's library. I give this reference my highest recommendation.
Jeremy W. Forstadt
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Summary: Every college freshman should own this book
Review: This book is a serious writing tool that should be on the bookshelf of every new college freshman's dorm room. "The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law," is an outstanding road map to clean and concise writing. To this end, students of all fields of study should check out this handy text...used properly it will never collect dust. It is a simple fact of life that good writers advance in the corporate world. These days it is simply not enough to have a good verbal command of the Queen's English. Good writers use clear and simple rules to communicate and convince. Lawyers, doctors, investment bankers, teachers, public administrators and politicians regularly reach out to others in the written form. For sure, the ability to convey a powerful message cannot be underestimated in today's competitive business world.
The "Stylebook" has it all. It includes a A to Z listing of guides to capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and more importantly usage. It will also help someone with weak or little knowledge of sports...there are plenty of explanations of sporting terms. For instance, what is the difference between a rabbit punch and a kidney punch? Check out this text and you'll find out. However, the best feature of this book is that it will help all writers with solid guidelines on how to treat complex terms. You don't have to be a journalism major or work for a newspaper to appreciate this book. Highly recommended for the parent of a college bound student who wants his or her kid to have an edge. Bert Ruiz
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Summary: Not just for journalists
Review: This book is an indispensible resource for writers, students, editors, journalists, businesspeople -- anybody who needs to write proposals, papers, stories, you name it. Clearly organized in dictionary form, this book contains the answers to those key and nagging questions. Is the "m" in "English muffin" supposed to be capitalized? When do you hyphenate "right-wing"? How exactly do you properly use "lay and lie"? What's the appropriate abbreviation for an army corporal? And does a speaker stand behind or on a podium? Finally figure out which preposition is precisely correct. In addition to common style questions like the ones above, the stylebook contains a wealth of common information. What is a mach number? How does one calculate heat indexes and wind chill factors? And other pieces of commonly needed information are interspersed throughout the text. This edition also includes specific guides for business and sports terminology, as well as an Internet guide. While less useful to those not members of the media, this text also includes a briefing on media law. Some sections, such as the right to individual privacy, might appeal to the general public. The AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is an essential addition to any reference collection.
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Summary: Indispensable Guide for Journalists and Writers
Review: This book is often considered the "journalist's bible," but the reality is it is an invaluable aid to nearly any writer. The style section is laid out in a dictionary type format and provides excellent advice on the use of a large number of words and terms in writing. There are over 5,000 entries this section, making it a one step reference source. The book also has a separate section on sports style and guidelines. This section is increasingly important in our sports-driven society. One can imagine that the day is coming when this section will be expanded into a book length sports style guide. The punctuation guide might well be worth the price of the book, as so many of us struggle with proper punctuation in our writing. Also of great use to writers is the "Briefing on Media Law" section which contains an overview of two subjects every writer should be aware of: slander and copyright. It's clear, concise, and easy to use for quick reference. If you are a writer, add it to your library today.
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