A Pocket Style Manual

I have taught high school junior English for 16 years, and Hacker's manual is the best I've found...by far. First, since many schools have abandoned grammar altogether, many students have little grasp on basic skills. This manual allows students to take a refresher course, complete with detailed examples. Also, this manual helps students with tedious writing strategies that are not taught in some schools. For example, voice, tense, person and tone are all covered, as well as transitions, introductions and effective conclusions. It's easy to read and understand. Finally, in the area of research, MLA, APA and Chicago are all covered. In this fashion, one can compare and easily see the differences each style requires. Often, a student is taking 3 different classes that require 3 different formats. This book succinctly transcends from one to the next.An invaluable section is that of citations. It teaches how to cite, how to avoid plagiarism, and also how to integrate quotations into your paper. Many students don't know how to paraphrase, as some teachers allow copying straight from the encyclopedia to the notebook paper! This book show you how!Finally, for the visually dependent, Hacker includes a sample page of a title page,works cited page, and a first page. A final note in this computer age, Hacker keeps up with the Internet and helps the student with any and all websites and databases. This alone is invaluable. Be sure you get the most updated version. This is the third edition, and I have all my juniors use it. I call it our "mini bible."

Lets say you're a business or a psychology major and you're working on a history minor. Did you know these academic disciplines all write in different styles? What to do? Get this book! While some professors will let you cite in your field, they're more likely to give you a better grade if you cite in the style of their discipline.Therefore, you're only going to benefit by having this manual. Whatever style you end up writing in, all the writing formats are easily spelled out for you. Furthermore, if you're a visual learner, there are sample papers at the end of each section for clarification.In addition to being a reference manual for the different styles, "A Pocket Style Manual," also includes sections on clarity, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, research sources, usage and grammatical terms. All are in an easily to find, readable and understandable formats.Overall, an excellent choice for undergraduate students who will be taking courses in many different disciplines.

I teach in a high school where we have just opened a brand-new freshmen-only campus. We are trying all sorts of innovative things to help maximize the learning experience. One of the best innovations so far this year is the distribution of this style manual to every student, teacher and staff member in the school. The hope is the students will carry it with them for four years (and beyond) and that teachers and staff will use it as a reference when working with students and other members of the school community. I was especially grateful to receive a copy of this, since I had just lost my MLA guide, the Chicago Manual of Style and Elements of Style by Strunk and White in a flood. This quick-reference guide replaces all of these books in one portable guide. I especially like the spiral binding and laminated cover -- Very durable for stashing in a book bag or in a locker. Professional writers and those writing graduate-level papers will probably need the full versions of these books. However, the average student, whether in high school or in college, will find this book to be indispensible.

I highly recommend this manual--it is very useful for undergraduates, graduate students, and those in the professional world. Some handbooks cover a lot of material but tend to be bulky and intimidating. Hacker's manual, in contrast, is clear, succinct, and non-intimidating. It covers the fine points of grammar, style, essay and research paper writing, and MLA documentation. If I had to recommend one reference book in English style and grammar to own, I would choose this one. I am a Graduate Student in the M.A. English program at Holy Names College and this manual is helping me get through the Program! Note: if you have a few more dollars to spend, get A Writer's Reference. Third Edition. by Hacker...It is an expanded version of the Pocket Style Manual, adding such subjects as ESL trouble spots, preparing Outlines, etc. It also comes with helpful tab dividers for easy reference use.

I require that all of my freshman composition students purchase this book. It is a concise and well organized resource for beginning writers, as well as for more advanced academic and independant writers. It is a handy reference for several standard modes of documentation and for style basics.