Book Reviews

If composition class made you squirm and grammar lessons caused an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach, relax, readers! Lyles shares a friendly, chatty guide to written and spoken communication. Drawing on her 30 years of experience as a writer, editor, and manager for technology companies, her guide covers grammar but also includes practical advice, such as how to create an effective online profile, and taking simple steps to ensure you’re saying what you mean to. To keep things light, Lyles provides plenty of entertaining bloopers. Her material cuts a side swath: PowerPoint slides, credit card statements, even customer service rep scripts. Writing, language, tone: as on chapter title states, it’s “All in the Delivery.” As the author reminds us, mistakes can be used as “an important litmus test,” and pronunciation matters. Organized into 11 sections, the book is made up of concise, two- and three-page essays with titles such as “Borrowing from Other Languages” and “Me, Myself, and I.” Readers of all ages and grammar levels will find this an easy and entertaining reference, and a valuable reminder that spellcheck and autocorrect aren’t always your best friends.