Eats Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation [Paperback]

Everyone knows the basics of punctuation, surely? Aren't we all taught at school how to use full stops, commas and question marks? And yet we see ignorance and indifference everywhere. "Its Summer!" says a sign that cries out for an apostrophe. "ANTIQUE,S," says another, bizarrely. "Pansy's ready", we learn to our considerable interest ("Is she?"), as we browse among the bedding plants.

In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss dares to say that, with our system of punctuation patently endangered, it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them for the wonderful and necessary things they are. If there are only pedants left who care, then so be it. "Sticklers unite" is her rallying cry. "You have nothing to lose but your sense of proportion--and arguably you didn't have much of that to begin with."

This is a book for people who love punctuation and get upset about it. From the invention of the question mark in the time of Charlemagne to Sir Roger Casement "hanged on a comma"; from George Orwell shunning the semicolon to Peter Cook saying Nevile Shute's three dots made him feel all funny", this book makes a powerful case for the preservation of a system of printing conventions that is much too subtle to be mucked about with. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'If Lynne Truss were Roman Catholic I'd nominate her for sainthood' Frank McCourt 'This book will stimulate and satisfy. It's worth its weight in gold.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent 'A witty, elegant and passionate book that should be on every writer's shelf' Observer 'Lynne Truss deserves to be piled high with honours ...' John Humphrys 'It can only be a matter of time before the new government seizes the chance to appoint her as minister for punctuation. The manifesto is already written. Guardian 'She's a soul sister. She's one of us.' Richard Madeley, Richard and Judy

This is more than a witty, elegant and passionate book that should be on every writer's shelf. Well. Done. Lynne!!!! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Lynne Truss deserves to be piled high with honours'. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Truss is one of life's head girls. She's also jolly good fun, or at least her book is. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A wonderful little treatise on the uses and misuses of punctuation. Witty and entertaining as well as informative. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Lovers of good English have thought of ourselves as isolated outposts...Lynne Truss has emerged as our champion. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Lynne Truss has written a funny and apposite book'. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'She's a soul sister. She's one of us.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The book of the year, really. It meets the Zeitgeist. Very quirky and enormous fun. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Her faint scoldiness, good humour, self-deprecatory pedantry and bloody-minded doggedness make this the most enjoyable book about punctuation ever written. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The international bestseller - at last in paperback and with a new introduction. A witty, entertaining, impassioned guide to perfect punctuation, for everyone who cares about precise writing. When social histories come to be written of the first decade of the 21st century, people will note a turning point in 2003 when declining standards of punctuation were reversed. Linguists will record Lynne Truss as the saviour of the semi-colon and the avenging angel of the apostrophe. 'If Lynne Truss were Roman Catholic I'd nominate her for sainthood' Frank McCourt 'This book will stimulate and satisfy. It's worth its weight in gold.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent 'A witty, elegant and passionate book that should be on every writer's shelf' Observer 'Lynne Truss deserves to be piled high with honours ...' John Humphrys 'It can only be a matter of time before the new government seizes the chance to appoint her as minister for punctuation. The manifesto is already written.' Guardian 'She's a soul sister. She's one of us.' Richard Madeley, Richard and Judy

Now out in paperback with a free Punctuation Repair Kit in every copy. Sticklers, please use your stickers responsibly, correctly and legally. This international bestseller, with over three million copies sold worldwide, is fast becoming a modern classic. Eats Shoots & Leaves can be read as a tale from beginning to end and used as a reference guide in moments of confusion. Be prepared to laugh out loud.

It has just been exclamation marks all the way! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Lynne Truss is one of Britain's top comic writers and is the author of the number one bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves. It has sold over three million copies worldwide and won the British Book of the Year award in 2004. She has also written four comic books, Going Loco, Making the Cat Laugh, Tennyson's Gift and With One Lousy Free Packet of Seed, all available from Profile Books. She is a regular presenter on Radio 4, a Times columnist and a guest presenter for many other programmes. She lives in Brighton.