title: Making a Point by: Crystal, David published: 2015-09-17 read: 2020-06 preview

I am slowly ploughing my way through David Crystal’s work, since he’s now my favourite linguist.  I wish I’d known about these 20 years ago, or rather: that he’d written them 20 years ago.  Previously I read his “Making a point”, an important book in my opinion, an entertaining book.  Right now I’ve just started Spell it out and Making sense.

Making a Point by David Crystal dives into the weird history and everyday use of English punctuation. Each chapter tackles a different punctuation mark, explaining where it came from and how it’s changed over time.

Crystal mixes historical tidbits with modern examples, showing how punctuation has evolved. He looks at the old rules and how they’ve shifted, especially with the rise of printing and digital communication. The book also digs into common punctuation debates, like whether it’s okay to use a comma before “and” in a list.

A typical Crystal book: the writing is clear and easy to follow, making it a good read for anyone curious about punctuation. He includes lots of interesting stories and examples to keep things lively.

Overall, Making a Point offers a thorough and fun look at punctuation. It’s packed with useful info and interesting history, perfect for anyone wanting to understand more about those little marks we use in writing every day.