Have you asked someone a question today? Asking questions makes us human, it helps us to establish connections and understand each other. Learn from the best in class, like Socrates, a hairdresser, Oprah, a police investigator, Confucius and a therapist. Use the practical tips and fun facts in this book to your advantage during birthday parties, networking events, a first date or at the bus stop. Are you ready to turn the focus to the other, ask questions and create deeper connections?

My Life Story: Margaret Estelle Gulbranson Schultz was first written in longhand by Margaret. Her story is a firsthand account of a young girl of Norwegian descent who grew up in a family of nine children in North Dakota during the Depression. Of interest is the fact that the family did live in a boxcar and were the authentic boxcar children. The Gulbranson offspring learned early to fend for themselves and help others. Being the eldest, Margaret supported and cared for her eight siblings. After a harsh start in school knowing no English, Margaret (to her delight) was sent home, learned English in one year, and went on to become a teacher at the age of nineteen. For over forty years, she continued to be heavily involved in the educational system. Margaret Estelle Gulbranson Schultz is memorialized as a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and teacher.

In the most reliable and readable guide to effective writing for the Americans of today, Wilson answers questions of meaning, grammar, pronunciation, punctuation, and spelling in thousands of clear, concise entries. His guide is unique in presenting a systematic, comprehensive view of language as determined by context. Wilson provides a simple chart of contexts—from oratorical speech to intimate, from formal writing to informal—and explains in which contexts a particular usage is appropriate, and in which it is not. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English provides the answers to questions about American English the way no other guide can with: * an A–Z format for quick reference; * over five thousand entries, more than any other usage book; * sensible and useful advice based on the most current linguistic research; * a convenient chart of levels of speech and writing geared to context; * both descriptive and prescriptive entries for guidance; * guidelines for nonsexist usage; * individual entries for all language terms. A vibrant description of how our language is being spoken and written at the end of the twentieth century—and how we ourselves can use it most effectively—The Columbia Guide to Standard American English is the ideal handbook to language etiquette: friendly, sensible, and reliable.