Review: The Chicago Manual of Style

The Chicago Manual of Style
By the Chicago University Press Editorial Staff

From title pages to colophons, editorial marks to ISBNs, and everything in between, this book offers exhaustive information on almost every aspect of publishing. The Chicago Manual of Style is an invaluable desktop reference for anyone involved in publishing, including designers and typographers. Of course, as with any reference work, it’s not necessarily meant to be read straight through but rather to be consulted on an as needed basis. If you’re like me though, you’ll look up one thing and end up reading an entire chapter, which goes to show how well organized and easy this tome is to read, use, and enjoy.

This fourteenth edition is almost 200 pages longer than the previous one and brings the manual well into the age of desktop publishing. However this edition is already beginning to show its age, as it was published just before the Web explosion. Hopefully the next edition will address some current debates such as the proper display of URLs in printed matter. Until then, this book is still a must-have.

—Delve Withrington

Cover, The Chicago Manual of Style © 1993 University of Chicago

Ordering Info

Delve Withrington is the founder of Delve Media Arts and the Publisher of TypeBooks.

Chicago Manual of Style, The (14th Ed.)
Authors: Chicago University Press Editorial Staff
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press [1993]
ISBN: 0-226-10389-7
Binding: Hardcover, 921pp.