These are books that I particularly recommend to become strong at the mechanics of writing and at copyediting. (To work on the mental clarity and knowledge that are prerequisites of good writing, consider the books on my Liberal Education list.)
The List
- Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student by Edward P. J. Corbett (do all the exercises—well, as many as you can!)
- Garner’s Modern American Usage by Bryan A. Garner
- Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition
- Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers by Glenn Leggett, C. David Mead, and William Charvat (again, do all the exercises!)
- Words into Type “based on studies by” Marjorie E. Skillin, Robert M. Gay, et al.
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