Modern American Usage A Guide Author:Wilson Follett, Jacques Barzun (Editor) "It is time we had an American book of usage grounded in the philosophy that the best in language--which is often the simplest--is not too good to be aspired to." — These words were set down by Wilson Follett when, in 1958, he began to write Modern American Usage. They may be taken as stating the principle underlying his book. Throughout Modern A... more »merican Usage Wilson Follett maintains that the best in language *is* attainable and worth the effort, that in matters of expression the speaker and writer must exercise choice and judgment.
Modern American Usage, an invaluable guide to educated usage and good taste, is filled with Wilson Follett's wit and erudition. It is intended to be read with pleasure and to be used by those who are interested in good English--and it is American, "American to the marrow," as Wilson Follett hoped it would be. Modern American Usage will take its place beside the classic reference works of Bartlett, Roget, and Fowler.
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Wilson Follett died in 1963, before he had finished his book. Jacques Barzun, with the co-operation of his collaborators, undertook the task of completing it.« less