I've been in publishing (prepress, from T-square days to Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress) since the 1970s. I layout mainly scholarly publications for university presses and the CMS is as important as an internet connection. I received it in a timely manner and in excellent condition. Anyone serious about book or journal design and compositon (and copy editing) needs this book in their library.

I bought this book because my university relies on the Chicago Manual of Style's formatting for dissertations and such. It's a good reference for writing dissertations and papers. In areas where formatting is still somewhat not standardized (such as audio recordings, websites), this manual provides general guidelines of what information should be included. The section on electronic resource is quite applicable although more examples would be helpful.

I love this book. It came quick and in great condition. I use this book and the AP Stylebook as well for all my references. A must have.

Yes, The Chicago Manual is the bible of correct, literate, non-newspaper writing, and the 15th ed. includes some of the latest accepted evolutions in usage and style. If the 15th ed. is your first Chicago Manual, great.

However, its big list price may be justifiable for first-timers and corporate buyers, but it's not OK for loyal, independent CM-ers.

If you have the 14th ed. and use it as often as I did, you'll be inclined to upgrade to the 15th--at the new, hefty price. And then you're likely to question, as I did, whether that price is worth tossing the 14th for the 15th's "Updated material throughout" . . . its "New coverage of journals and electronic publications" . . . its "Comprehensive new chapter of American English grammar" and "Reorganized chapters" (who needs *that*?) and--my favorites--"New diagrams" and "Descriptive headings." Is there really that much new stuff? Have the language and the rules changed that much since I last used the 14th?

No. This is the college-text game at work: Update and rearrange the last edition so as to render it obsolete. Except the 14th really isn't obsolete.

After using the 15th for some months now, I can say there's just not enough truly new stuff to justify it as a replacement. But I'd have been happy to buy a smaller paperback "addendum" edition, as some publishers do, to update my 14th. So why didn't UCPress *also* publish something like that, at an appropriate price, for writers and editors (like me) who already have the 14th?

Look up "money, large amounts of, 9.28."

This book is an essential tool for anyone who wants to make sure that their writing is at the highest level in terms of grammar, syntax and so forth. It is the one book endorsed by the publishing industry as the "bible." If you write, fiction or nonfiction, you must own this book!