A hilarious, informative guide to language and grammar inspired by America’s favorite maverick. It would seem to go without saying that a strong understanding of how to use language properly and effectively is a requisite for success in the 21st century. And yet, increasingly even some of America’s most prominent public figures and leaders seem to have only the most tenuous grasp of how to put together a coherent sentence or paragraph. No individual could be more representative of this unfortunate national tendency than Sarah Palin—the former Governor of Alaska, Fox News pundit, and now campaign surrogate for Donald Trump (another public figure with only a passing familiarity with how to use the English language). Time and again, Ms. Palin finds ways to bungle basic tenets of vocabulary, syntax, and grammar, often giving speeches or interviews that upon reexamination read more like the drunken ravings of someone unhinged. But it is for this very reason that Ms. Palin can be a great example for all Americans. Often it is only possible to learn from making mistakes, and Ms. Palin has made plenty. This book will be a guide that uses the colorful and chaotic language of Ms. Palin to illustrate key lessons of how (not) to write and speak well.

Grammar has finally let its hair down! Unlike uptight grammar books that overwhelm us with every single grammar rule, Kiss My Asterisk is like a bikini: it’s fun, flirty, and covers only the most important bits. Its lessons, which are 100 percent free of complicated grammar jargon, have been carefully selected to include today’s most common, noticeable errors—the ones that confuse our readers or make them wonder if we are, in fact, smarter than a fifth grader. What is the proper use of an apostrophe? When should an ellipsis be used instead of an em dash? Why do we capitalize President Obama but not “the president”? And why is that question mark placed outside of the end quote? Author Jenny Baranick is an English professor whose students can’t believe she’s actually that into grammar. Upon experiencing the joys of grammar at an early age, raising grammar awareness became Jenny’s raison d’être. By spreading her remarkably user-friendly and hilarious approach to grammar, she hopes everyone will experience the satisfaction of a properly placed comma, a precisely used semicolon, and a correctly deployed en dash. Kiss My Asterisk shows grammar as it’s never been seen before: uncomplicated, laugh-out-loud funny, and, dare we say, a little risqué.

Grammar has finally let its hair down! Unlike uptight grammar books that overwhelm us with every single grammar rule, Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares is like a bikini: it’s fun, flirty, and covers only the most important bits. Its lessons, which are 100 percent free of complicated grammar jargon, have been carefully selected to include today’s most common, noticeable errors—the ones that confuse our readers or make them wonder if we are, in fact, smarter than a fifth grader. What is the proper use of an apostrophe? When should an ellipsis be used instead of an em dash? Why do we capitalize President Obama but not “the president”? And why is that question mark placed outside of the end quote? Author Jenny Baranick is an English professor whose students can’t believe she’s actually that into grammar. Upon experiencing the joys of grammar at an early age, raising grammar awareness became Jenny’s raison d'être. By spreading her remarkably user-friendly and hilarious approach to grammar, she hopes everyone will experience the satisfaction of a properly placed comma, a precisely used semicolon, and a correctly deployed en dash. Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares shows grammar as it’s never been seen before: uncomplicated, laugh-out-loud funny, and, dare we say, a little risqué.

This book describes the living-room artifacts, clothing styles, and intellectual proclivities of American classes from top to bottom.

Words equal credibility. The more articulate a person is, the more seriously they will be taken—by everyone. On any given day, you might read “abrogate” used in a USA Today article; or “demagogue” or “fiduciary” used on CNN. You might hear “ensorcelled” and “torpor” in a TV drama; you’ll hear a political candidate described as “truculent.” You may hear “pedantic” used in a movie. How many of these words are part of most college students’ “arsenal of words”? Hopefully all of them, but if not, 499 Words Every College Student Should Know will provide them with what they need to become more articulate in their speaking and writing. It will also enhance their comprehension in their reading, ultimately culminating in what every student aspires to: earning better grades! 499 Words Every College Student Should Know teaches truly important vocabulary words and focuses on Professor Spignesi’s classroom-tested Trinity of Vocabulary Use. For each word, the vocabulary-enriched and educated student will be able to: Understand the word in their reading Use the word in their speaking Make good use of the word in their writing Using easy-to-understand, informative, and often humorous explanations of every word, 499 Words Every College Student Should Know also explores how to use the words in sentences, and in proper context. The majority of these words were individually chosen because they are fairly commonplace in media, books, online, and elsewhere, and students need to be able to understand them. Knowing them — in fact, using the words and making them part of their everyday language — will make any college student or those soon-to-be, more credible.

Weird and wacky tales from the right wing.

In this important study Hays argues against the mainstream that any attempt to account for the nature and method of Paul's theological language must first reckon with the centrality of narrative elements in his thought. Through an in-depth investigation of Galatians 3:1-4:11, Hays shows that the framework of Paul's thought is neither a system of doctrines nor his personal religious experience but the "sacred story" of Jesus Christ.