The Elements of Style Paperback – July 28, 2009

I received The Elements of Style: 50th Anniversary Edition from a very close friend a few years back, and she was someone who understood my love for this book that goes back to my college days in the 1970s. Someone once asked me how I was able to hold a 3.9 average in college back in the post-Vietnam era when as a veteran I was in school and working full time. My answer then is as it is now: "Strunk and White."But if my friend reads this, I hope that she will accept my apology that I rarely open the cover of this book, yet it's one of my most treasured. It's the accepted 4th edition, and now a collectable in this hardbound version. These days I use a well worn paperback edition, The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition, which is still accessed at least a few times a week. I just heep this one on a special bookshelf with my most treasured books, and still glance at it when using the paperback.There are plenty of reviews, both pro and con, posted here on both of the above editions, and I am not as erudite as some of the other reviewers, nor am I an authority. As far as these editions go, Time Magazine listed Strunk & White's 'The Elements of Style' as "one of the 100 best and most influential books written in English since 1923" in their August 30, 2011 issue. But my concern is that there are many editions of "The Elements of Style" listed here on Amazon, both in paper and Kindle editions, yet few of them are what the reader may assume are the real ones.For example, this THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE - The Original Edition (Annotated) may not be the edition that you're looking for. It's one of a number of versions of the original title "The Elements of Style" written by Cornell University English professor William Strunk, Jr., who wrote it 1918. But this is not the version that is also known as "Strunk & White." The product description is incorrect.There are other Kindle reissues of the 1918 edition, most notably THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE (UPDATED 2011 EDITION) The All-Time Bestselling Book on Writing English Newly Edited (Special 2011 Edition) The Elements of Style OVER 10 MILLION COPIES SOLD! [Revised], which notes that it is newly revised and edited by Chris Hong, who is listed in the electronic flyleaf as a former editor at Harvard University, and bears a © 2011 The Elements of Style Press notation. This particular edition does have a slightly better layout on the Kindle, and the table of contents is well hyperlinked, but no mention is made of original author William Strunk, Jr., except for his name on the flyleaf.Among the other Kindle editions are The Elements of Style (Original Edition), with the quill on it's cover is basic, and it costs under a dollar. But if you're going for basic, the The Elements of Style edition with its generic cover is a no-cost freebie. And there are other Kindle editions if you search.The problem with these 1918 editions is that the writing style is dated. Original author Strunk had died in 1946, and in 1959, the publishers commissioned writer and author E. B. White, well known for his Charlotte's Web, that classic for children, to revise the 41-year-old text. This was was fitting as Strunk had been one of White's professors at Cornell. White's rework of the book was extremely well received, and further editions of the work followed in 1972, 1979, and 1999. White's expansion and modernization of Strunk's original became informally known as Strunk & White. As to whether it's considered a valid part of a writer's bookshelf, more than ten million copies of the three editions of Strunk & White have been sold.The history of this writing manual can be found in Mark Garvey's Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style, which was published in 2009, an excellent book in its own right.So if you're looking for the real Strunk & White, The Elements of Style (4th Edition), by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, is one you want, and it's only available in paper editions, except for the rare The Elements of Style: 50th Anniversary Edition, which is now a collectable. Otherwise, you may enjoy one of the Kindle editions listed here, but think of them more as an interesting background than as contemporary writing style references.9/11/2012

I purchased the fiftieth anniversary edition of "William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style". It is a little hardcover book, beautifully bound in black and gold, and well enough made to last beyond this generation. So it should. To me, it is a valuable treasure. I learnt English Grammar during the nineteen-fifties in Australia, but today there seems to be no such subject. Such a tragedy. But this little book is much more than grammar. It tells how to use our language, and it tells it with great authority. It is the sort of contribution that will help save our beautiful language from the decline that is becoming evident everywhere we look. Any aspiring writer, in fact every writer should read this book, and read it often. It produces an amazing sense of confidence. My writing style evolved instantly as a result, and I admit to a certain faint redness of cheek sometimes when editing my latest work. Buy ten copies to give as gifts. You will be doing the world a favour. Kind regards.

Even people who haven't read through this book should know that it's the de facto manual for improving your writing. The information it contains is just as relevant today as when it was written.Since the content of the book isn't any different this time around, let's talk about the edition itself. As some other reviewers have mentioned, this is a very attractive edition of The Elements of Style. Embossed lettering and a leatherette cover definitely make for a fancier copy than the basic soft and hardcover editions. Inside, it's beautifully printed with an easy-to-see contrast between paper and ink.The biggest issue with this edition for me is how flimsy the paper is. This is essentially a reference book, but the paper's thinness makes me think it won't hold up to being thumbed through over time.This would make a nice gift for a budding writer, or look good on a shelf if you don't plan to consult it often. For college students, professional writers or anyone else who might get heavy use out of The Elements of Style, go for one of the oversized paperbacks with the thick paper instead.

This timeless little book, "The Elements of Style", By William Strunk Jr., and E.B. White, is probably on every writer's go to informational shelf. If you are a student of English, a person who writes letters to your friends/family, someone who is meticulous about your correspondence, I propose this to be the must have book for your bookcase, desk, or your high school student. It makes a great gift for that discriminating someone.This book has been directing professors, teachers, English majors, writers, college students, and all who wish to correctly pen the English word, for more than fifty years. This leather bound anniversary edition, would be a lovely cherished addition for anyone who appreciates the English language.PS: I bought it as a birthday gift for myself. Good for me. I deserve it! So, go ahead and treat yourself. You're worth it.