Eats, Shoots & Leaves：The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

Abonafidepublishingphenomenon,LynneTrussasnowclassic#1"NewYorkTimes"bestseller"Eats,ShootsandLeaves"makesitspaperbackdebutaftersellingover3millioncopiesworldwideinhardcover.Weallknowthebasicsofpunctuation.Ordowe?Alookatmostneighborhoodsignagetellsadifferentstory.ThroughsloppyusageandlowstandardsontheInternet,ine-mail,andnowtextmessages,wehavemadeproperpunctuationanendangeredspecies.In"Eats,ShootsandLeaves,"formereditorTrussdarestosay,inherdelightfullyurbane,witty,andveryEnglishway,thatitistimetolookatourcommasandsemicolonsandseethemasthewonderfulandnecessarythingstheyare.Thisisabookforpeoplewholovepunctuationandgetupsetwhenitismishandled.FromtheinventionofthequestionmarkinthetimeofCharlemagnetoGeorgeOrwellshunningthesemicolon,thislivelyhistorymakesapowerfulcaseforthepreservationofasystemofprintingconventionsthatismuchtoosubtletobemuckedaboutwith.BACKCOVER:PraiseforLynneTrussand"Eats,ShootsandLeaves":"Eats,ShootsandLeaves"amakescorrectusagesocoolthatyouhavetoadmireMs.Truss.aaJanetMaslin,"TheNewYorkTimes"aWitty,smart,passionate.aa"LosAngelesTimesBookReview,"BestBooksOf2004:NonfictionaWhoknewgrammarcouldbesomuchfun?aa"Newsweek"aWittyandinstructive....Trussisanentertaining,well-readscoldinaculturethatcouldusemorescolding.aa"USAToday"aTrussisWilliamSafirecrossedwithJohnCleeseasBasilFawlty.aa"EntertainmentWeekly"aLynneTrusshasdonetheEnglish-speakingworldahugeservice.aa"TheChristianScienceMonitor"aThisbookchangedmylifeinsmall,perfectwayslikelearninghowtomakebettercoffeeorfoldanomelet.Itastheperfectgiftforanyonewhocaresaboutgrammarandagentleintroductionforthosewhodonatcareenough.aa"TheBostonSundayGlobe"aLynneTrussmakespunctuation]ajoytocontemplate.aa"Elle"aIfLynneTrusswereRomanCatholicIadnominateherforsainthood.aaFrankMcCourt,authorof"AngelaasAshes"aTrussasscholarshipisimpressiveandneverdry.aaEdmundMorris,"TheNewYorkTimesBookReview"