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The Best Punctuation Book, Period: A Comprehensive Guide for Every Writer, Editor, Student, and Businessperson Paperback – April 15, 2014


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This all-in-one reference is a quick and easy way for book, magazine, online, academic, and business writers to look up sticky punctuation questions for all styles including AP (Associated Press), MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and Chicago Manual of Style.

Punctuate with Confidence—No Matter the Style

Confused about punctuation? There’s a reason. Everywhere you turn, publications seem to follow different rules on everything from possessive apostrophes to hyphens to serial commas. Then there are all the gray areas of punctuation—situations the rule books gloss over or never mention at all. At last, help has arrived.
 
This complete reference guide from grammar columnist June Casagrande covers the basic rules of punctuation plus the finer points not addressed anywhere else, offering clear answers to perplexing questions about semicolons, quotation marks, periods, apostrophes, and more. Better yet, this is the only guide that uses handy icons to show how punctuation rules differ for book, news, academic, and science styles—so you can boldly switch between essays, online newsletters, reports, fiction, and magazine and news articles.

This handbook also features rulings from an expert “Punctuation Panel” so you can see how working pros approach sticky situations. And the second half of the book features an alphabetical master list of commonly punctuated terms worth its weight in gold, combining rulings from the major style guides and showing exactly where they differ. With
The Best Punctuation Book, Period, you’ll be able to handle any punctuation predicament in a flash—and with aplomb.
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From the Publisher

Grammar Girl praises book on punctuation as ridiculously useful

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ridiculously useful. The best book on punctuation I’ve ever seen.
—Mignon Fogarty
, author of Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Invaluable reference work for professional proofreaders, editors, and writers because it is the only book that presents Chicago, AP, APA, and MLA conventions side by side. (Acronym-free translation: for each use of each punctuation mark, this book clearly explains and illustrates the practices used by book publishers, the news media, social science publications, and nonscientific academic papers and journal articles.)
—Amy Einsohn, author of
The Copyeditor’s Handbook


About the Author

JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of the weekly syndicated “A Word, Please” grammar column and a copy editor for the custom publishing department of the Los Angeles Times. She has worked as a reporter, features writer, city editor, proofreader, and copyediting instructor for UC San Diego Extension. She is the author of Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies, Mortal Syntax, and It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences. She lives in Pasadena, California, with her husband. Visit www.junecasagrande.com.

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June Casagrande
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June Casagrande is author of the weekly syndicated "A Word, Please" grammar column that runs in newspapers in Southern California, Florida, and Texas. She runs the GrammarUnderground.com grammar tips website. She has worked for the Los Angeles Times' community news division as a reporter, features writer, copy editor, and city editor. She currently copy edits Special Sections of the Los Angeles Times and teaches copy editing online for UC San Diego Extension.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
1,642 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this punctuation guide comprehensive and easy to understand, with clear explanations and a well-organized structure. The book serves as a great reference for writers, helping them improve their writing skills and providing clear rules for different styles. They appreciate how it references differences in punctuation usage, and one customer notes it's particularly useful for SAT test preparation.

44 customers mention "Use"43 positive1 negative

Customers find the punctuation guide helpful and practical, with one mentioning it's particularly useful for novelists, while another notes it serves as a handy quick-reference tool.

"Very useful, especially for explaining the different Styles...." Read more

"Well written, easy to read and very helpful book! I do proof reading and editing and there are lots of times I need to look up punctuation questions...." Read more

"Good resource!" Read more

"An indispensable book for college students, writers, editors, and proofreaders" Read more

43 customers mention "Information quality"43 positive0 negative

Customers find the punctuation guide informative and comprehensive, with detailed explanations throughout, making it a great reference guide for writers, editors, students, and businesspeople.

"...The comparisons are not only interesting, but informative, thus making the book much more interesting, helpful and understandable for its reading..." Read more

"This is really a comprehensive, user-friendly punctuation book. It is great for proofreaders, and anyone who is doing formal writing." Read more

"Solid Information! This book is very useful for Editing, Proofreading, and Writing." Read more

"...He was thrilled and said it would be a great reference guide." Read more

43 customers mention "Punctuation"40 positive3 negative

Customers find this punctuation book to be a perfect guide that references differences in usage and is great for brushing up on grammar skills, with one customer noting how each section breaks down the uses of each punctuation mark.

"...punctuation book, period." It should be called, "The best punctuation book, period. Exclamation point!"" Read more

"The Best Punctuation Book, Period is concise and comprehensive...." Read more

"I love this book - it is concise and easy to use, all the while retaining its professionalism...." Read more

"good grammar book." Read more

42 customers mention "Ease of understanding"41 positive1 negative

Customers find the punctuation guide easy to understand and read, with clear explanations.

"Provided me what I needed to become a better writer. Easy to understand. I was not overwhelmed with too much info." Read more

"...The book is very useful and easy to use, everything is carefully crafted and explained. I highly recommend it!" Read more

"Well written, easy to read and very helpful book! I do proof reading and editing and there are lots of times I need to look up punctuation questions...." Read more

"It IS the best punctuation book ever! Easy to read and follow and understand." Read more

26 customers mention "Writing ability"26 positive0 negative

Customers find this punctuation guide essential for writers, providing answers to many questions and helping them improve their writing skills.

"This book is written with clarity and is an excellent review for someone of any age or station in life. I will get a copy for my college age daughter." Read more

"Well written, easy to read and very helpful book! I do proof reading and editing and there are lots of times I need to look up punctuation questions...." Read more

"This is an excellent book and answers a lot of questions for writers, editors, and proofreaders...." Read more

"Perfect for my job, essays, and just writing in general. Highly recommend." Read more

16 customers mention "Book organized"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well organized, with one mentioning its simple-to-use layout.

"...The Best Punctuation Book is well organized, well thought out, and easy to use...." Read more

"The book is well organized and an excellent resourse." Read more

"It really is the best punctuation book, ever! I love the way the book is organized...." Read more

"...This book is well and logically organized. Thank you, Ms. Casagrande!!!" Read more

12 customers mention "Rules"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the punctuation guide's comprehensive approach, with one customer noting how it breaks down rules by style, while another mentions how it clarifies style-triggered rules.

"...There is a useful Appendix with great definitions and examples covering parts of speech: clauses, phrases, sentences, and sentence fragments...." Read more

"...It has great rules and tips. This book also has the rules according to different styles: CMOS, APA, etc...." Read more

"...What I particularly like is that it handles different rules for different situations: books, newspapers, scientific papers, and academic research...." Read more

"Very well organized review of basic grammar. The rules are broken down by style, so you can concentrate on learning the rul es for your style of..." Read more

10 customers mention "Reference book"10 positive0 negative

Customers find this punctuation guide to be a good reference book.

"Great reference" Read more

"...This is a great reference to keep me working in the right Style...." Read more

"It's a reference book for me; one that should be in every writer's library." Read more

"This was a good reference book for me. I just wish it explained some rules in more detail...." Read more

Great quick and easy resource!
4 out of 5 stars
Great quick and easy resource!
This is a great book if you want something for a quick answer. I am a writer and although I have the Chicago Manual of Style, it is a large book with a wealth of knowledge: that doesn't mean I want to use that hefty book every time I am unsure about something. So this is a convenient companion to that Bible for writers. Casagrande's rules and recommendations are based on: The Chicago Manual of Style, Associated Press Stylebook, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and Webster's New World College Dictionary. She defines punctuation marks, tells you how to use them, then gives examples for how they are used in book editing, news media and business writing, science, and academic styles. There is a useful Appendix with great definitions and examples covering parts of speech: clauses, phrases, sentences, and sentence fragments. A Punctuation A-Z chapter which is like an index or cheat sheet for further usage examples. Also, in case you need more evidence of how invaluable this book is, she used the help of a panel of experts. They are professional editors, copyeditors, and agents. This is a great book to add to your home library. If it had exercises at the end of each chapter, I would have given it 5stars.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Very useful, especially for explaining the different Styles. As a proofreader/copyeditor, it can be confusing jumping between Styles on different jobs. This is a great reference to keep me working in the right Style. I expect it would be useful to anyone writing pretty much anything, as so far I have not had any punctuation question for which this book did not have an answer, and the answers have been amazingly easy to find. This book is well and logically organized. Thank you, Ms. Casagrande!!!
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I purchased this book as well as "Grammar 101" (hardcover) from Amazon. While I prefer the print quality and simplicity of the "101" book better for quick references, this is an indispensable tool, and if you write across various styles, it's the better of the two for sure.

    This book breaks down grammatical and punctuation references and if there are variations in preference between styles, say AP and MLA or Chicago, it offers a handy quick-reference tool to illustrate those differences.

    I've been a sports and humanitarian photojournalist for nearly two decades and frequently use AP and MLA styles. In addition, I've begun dabbling in novel writing and the book styles are becoming increasingly helpful.

    If you just want a quick writing reference, I recommend "101" for it's simplicity and elegant layout. If you need to dig deeper into writing variations, grab this one. Better yet, get both!
    20 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I swear my writing has gotten better thanks to this book. Each section breaks down the uses of each punctuation and how you' use them in a plethora of situations. Love how it breaks down the types of jobs and how they would use said punctuations. There's even a glossary at the end showing slang and lingo you may need to know.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is a great book if you want something for a quick answer. I am a writer and although I have the Chicago Manual of Style, it is a large book with a wealth of knowledge: that doesn't mean I want to use that hefty book every time I am unsure about something. So this is a convenient companion to that Bible for writers. Casagrande's rules and recommendations are based on: The Chicago Manual of Style, Associated Press Stylebook, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and Webster's New World College Dictionary.
    She defines punctuation marks, tells you how to use them, then gives examples for how they are used in book editing, news media and business writing, science, and academic styles.
    There is a useful Appendix with great definitions and examples covering parts of speech: clauses, phrases, sentences, and sentence fragments. A Punctuation A-Z chapter which is like an index or cheat sheet for further usage examples.
    Also, in case you need more evidence of how invaluable this book is, she used the help of a panel of experts. They are professional editors, copyeditors, and agents.
    This is a great book to add to your home library. If it had exercises at the end of each chapter, I would have given it 5stars.
    Customer image
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Great quick and easy resource!

    Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2020
    This is a great book if you want something for a quick answer. I am a writer and although I have the Chicago Manual of Style, it is a large book with a wealth of knowledge: that doesn't mean I want to use that hefty book every time I am unsure about something. So this is a convenient companion to that Bible for writers. Casagrande's rules and recommendations are based on: The Chicago Manual of Style, Associated Press Stylebook, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and Webster's New World College Dictionary.
    She defines punctuation marks, tells you how to use them, then gives examples for how they are used in book editing, news media and business writing, science, and academic styles.
    There is a useful Appendix with great definitions and examples covering parts of speech: clauses, phrases, sentences, and sentence fragments. A Punctuation A-Z chapter which is like an index or cheat sheet for further usage examples.
    Also, in case you need more evidence of how invaluable this book is, she used the help of a panel of experts. They are professional editors, copyeditors, and agents.
    This is a great book to add to your home library. If it had exercises at the end of each chapter, I would have given it 5stars.
    Images in this review
    Customer imageCustomer image
    34 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    June Casagrande addresses the different punctuation rules to apply according to the different style guides (i.e., book style, MLA, APA). The comparisons are not only interesting, but informative, thus making the book much more interesting, helpful and understandable for its reading audience. Her layout in the book is excellent and easy to follow. In addition, the author also employs a panel of experts to discuss some gray areas when addressing punctuation rules. I gleaned much information that I was not formally aware of before reading this book. For example, after reading the book more closely, I learned that the apostrophe rule differs in academic writing after reading the book more closely. (My last review was incorrect about apostrophes.) This will serve as a great reference guide I can reference. I also plan to write out a few of the rules so I can remember them more clearly. This book deserves more than 5 stars! Excellent!
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    In the past I have spent much time trying to google answers to the complexities of punctuation, but it's all here in this one book. Plus the recognition that different audiences, i.e books, new, academic, and science often have different rules. No serious writer should be without this book. Not only is each topic explained with examples, but the second part is an encyclopedia. So glad I bought the paperback, it now resides right next to me when I am editing. Congratulations to the author who seriously researched all these topics and explained each in a very, understandable way. Thanks!!!
    12 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I love that this book starts by asking you to add punctuation to an unpunctuated paragraph. This is a great example of how a comma here, an apostrophe there, isn’t necessarily right or wrong depending on the style guide you use.

    Each punctuation mark has its own chapter. The rules that pertain to that punctuation mark are broken down by the four major style guides: book (CMOS), news (AP), scientific (APA), and academic (MLA). I like this format because it allows you to see the different styles in juxtaposition. You’ll find examples of correct and incorrect ways to punctuate a sentence, and a panel of editors were consulted for their punctuation preference on the more ambiguous rules.

    The second section is an alphabetized list of commonly confused words and is incredibly helpful when it comes to understanding whether to hyphenate, open, or close a compound word.

    The Best Punctuation Book is well organized, well thought out, and easy to use. Anyone who wants to improve their punctuation skills will want to add this book to their library.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Aarón
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book. Easy to use
    Reviewed in Mexico on July 27, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I recommend this book. It is very easy to understand.
  • Karen Mace
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential on My Desk
    Reviewed in Australia on September 15, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I have a number of books to help me with editing and proofreading, as well as online resources. However, even though I've only had this book for a couple of days, it is now, along with Strunk and White, an essential item on my desk. Highly recommended.
  • Lise Zulak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Resource!
    Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I bought this as an addition to a course I am taking and I would highly recommend getting this book for anyone who is a word nerd. I am training to be a proofreader and editor and this book has some great information in it on the basics and beyond. It is very easy to read and understand--I have at least half of it highlighted now haha.
  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Consigliato
    Reviewed in Italy on March 12, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Ottimo testo
  • Sharon Banes
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Great book in print and on Kindle, very useful for my business. Shipped rapidly and received ahead of schedule.