Plain talk

By JUSTINE ELIAS | September 15, 2009

Asked to recommend a dictionary, Sheidlower names Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, "one of the best reference books ever published . . . comprehensive, witty, and respectful of its audience. It gives you the tools to decide for yourself what is okay to use but always lets you know what the general opinions are."

And a book to ignore? Strunk & White's TheElements of Style. "Useless, self-contradictory, and ill-informed." Fucking-A.

JESSE SHEIDLOWER | Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge | September 17 | 7 pm | 617.661.1515 or www.harvard.com

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