What’s in Santa’s Bag This Year? Snootitude!

Today, I received an interesting plea from Bryan Garner. He wants me to buy lots of copies of Garner’s Modern American Usage to send a message to bookstore chains who don’t stock his book:

I have a favor to ask of you as a loyal reader: In the next few hours or days, would you please go to www.amazon.com or www.bn.com and buy one or more copies of the new third edition of Garner’s Modern American Usage as holiday presents? In fact, keep this gift possibility in mind through the end of the year, won't you?

I need your help in sending a message to the major bookstore chains: they’re not stocking the book because they’ve told Oxford University Press that they consider usage guides a “defunct category.” It’s maddeningly unbelievable. Please help me show them that they’re stupendously wrong.

I suspect that many of the snoots who are hardcore enough to buy GMAU as a Christmas gift would welcome its becoming harder to obtain, because that makes the club to which it affords access more exclusive.

But I also think that Mr. Garner’s book is what Guy Kawasaki might call “evangelist-worthy”:

A great product incites you to action. It is so deep, indulgent, complete, and elegant that it compels people to tell others about it. They’re not necessarily an employee or shareholder of the company that produces it. They’re bringing the good news to help others, not themselves.

Guy Kawasaki, Reality Check 188 (2008).

So while I may not buy you a copy of GMAU, I earnestly recommend that you buy one for yourself.

True Believers

I never rely on google to solve my usage dilemmas. And neither should you.

At Seth’s Blog, Mr. Godin unwittingly makes the case for keeping authoritative reference books on a nearby bookshelf:

The internet has amplified the volume of the true believers, the defenders of any faith.

If you’re into high end stereo, it’s far easier to find strident voices in defense of $100,000 stereos than ever before. If you have strong views on health care (either side) it’s not hard to find the orthodox and articulate believers. It’s not just specialty magazines or conferences any longer. The true believers are in our faces every day.

When you lead a tribe, the volume and accessibility of the true believers is a good thing. They’re easy to find and they maintain order and create a culture for the group you’re leading.

The problem is that these loud voices may be loud, but they might not be right.

You can read the rest of Seth’s post here.

Now go buy The Chicago Manual of Style so that you can use google for what it’s meant: stalking former colleagues.

Strong Verbs

Over at Bright Hub, Trent Lorcher has an interesting post about strong verbs. Strong verbs invigorate prose, as Mr. Lorcher demonstrates:

Instead of talking loudly, I should shout. Instead of walking proudly, I should strut. Instead of resting calmly, I should relax. Instead of hitting hard, I should wallop. Instead of writing long windedly, I should elaborate.