Dreyer's English, by Benjamin Dreyer

Observant readers may recall I launched a small business on Tuesday. I'm offering manuscript services and I've already had a consultation with my first client.

I won't bore anyone with the NOLO legal books I've been reading, nor the instructional guides aimed at editors and indexers, but I hope I can persuade some of you to try Dreyer's English. Benjamin Dreyer is more than a droll Twitter personality who posts a lot about early cinema. Apparently he's also an editor. Who knew?

Blurbed by people ranging from Lyle Lovett (??) to my man George Saunders, this book dishes out more laughs than you might expect in a book about word usage (though the Humorous Grammar subgenre is bigger than you might expect). "Only godless savages eschew the series comma" is one gem. Another gem offers this advice for structuring sentences, which should "aim for a powerful finale and not simply dribble off like an old man's unhappy micturition," which means what you think it means.

It's a quick read, recommended not just for writers and editors but anyone who enjoys words.

I'll just drop this photo here, shall I