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Things That Make Us (Sic): The Society For The Promotion Of Good Grammar Takes On Madison Avenue, Hollywood, The White House, And The World (2008)

by Martha Brockenbrough(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0312378084 (ISBN13: 9780312378080)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

St. Martin's Press

review 1: I loved this book. You know, it's really hard to write a book that's funny but doesn't try too hard. Brockenbrough pulls it off. She is a smart writer, all around. I learned a few things too, which for me as a teacher of grammar is a lot of fun. Why don't I give it 5 stars? Well, it was published in 2008, which means it was written just before 2008, and there are a couple of political references in here which turn me off. They aren't many, and they aren't (too) overt, but they're enough that I wouldn't feel comfortable ordering this book for my class. This disappoints me because otherwise it's a perfectly fun grammar manual for the level I teach. As it is, we all know that George W. Bush was an easy target when it came to poorly-worded quotes; it's too easy. The b... moreook would be just as effective without it, and now it's dated and politicized. It's the only thing that makes it less than perfect.
review 2: If anyone still teaches grammar in the classroom, this would be good source material. Brockenbrough brings nice humor to a potentially dull subject, but she's absolutely right when she says no one who voluntarily reads a book on grammar truly needs it. I knew most of this stuff before (though I don't always remember to apply it), but she does write engagingly. My big gripe is that she does not address the President's Day/Presidents' Day controversy (yes, it still bothers me!), which is all I really wanted to know and remains unresolved, though anyone with any sense knows what's correct (Presidents' Day). duh. less

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