Reference Sources
Here’s a short list of additional style, usage, and writers’ reference sources. Advice on a given topic may differ from one guide to another; nevertheless, all the works listed here have value because different users may find more or less helpful explanations of a usage that they find puzzling.
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, ed. Norm Goldstein (The Associated Press, 2006). Essential if you write for the media. Its word usage section is useful for all writers (should you use less or fewer? Fiscal or monetary?).
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2003). The bible of the academic book publishing world. Promotes a generally conservative and highly formal style (such as spelling out all numbers below 100). However, its detailed explanations of the finer points of punctuation (especially hyphenation) can be invaluable.
The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing, second ed., Casey Miller and Kate Swift (iUniverse, Inc., 2001).
United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, February 2001 (Berman Associates). Essential if you communicate formally in writing with federal agencies. Otherwise, many of the style rules (on capitalization, for example) differ from other currently accepted rules in other spheres. Includes a useful section on foreign languages.
The Web Content Style Guide, ed. Gerry McGovern, Rob Norton, and Catherine O’Dowd (Prentice Hall, 2002). Another essential guide. Addresses how to spell and punctuate many of the newest terms of the digital age.