Grammar for a Full Life: How the Ways We Shape a Sentence Can Limit or Enlarge Us by Lawrence Weinstein -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

Welcome to Book Beginnings on Fridays, where books lovers gather to share the opening sentence (or so) of the book that caught their fancy this week. 

Please add the link to your post in the Linky box below. You can play along on your blog or social media, whatever generates a URL link. If you don't have a blog or social media account but want to play along, just share the first sentence in a comment below. If you do, please tell us the name of your book and author's name.

If you post or link on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

From Grammar for a Full Life: How the Ways We Shape a Sentence Can Limit or Enlarge Us by Lawrence Weinstein:

When my devoted wife, Diane Weinstein, was still living -- and avidly contributing her input on the first version of this book -- I had a cockeyed dream one night in which she played a crucial part.

-- from the author's Introduction.

To get what I required for survival and a good, full life, I must often turn the ears of others in my direction.

-- from chapter one, “Getting Noticed: Colons." 

You can tell by the title and cover that this is not your ordinary grammar book. I love grammar books and self-help books so I'm game! 

Later in the introductory sections, Weinstein explains that his book explores the idea of a "connection between grammar and successfully obtaining something we human beings require in order to live fully." The first section, for example, looks at agency as "a person's sense of agency is his or her foremost enabler." In chapter one, Weinstein argues that using more colons will help people build confidence and increase their sense of agency.

This is going to be fun!

Do you read grammar books? Would you read this one? Take a look at Weinstein's website before you answer. He might convince you. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

From Grammar for a Full Life:

Unfortunately, though, English is sorely lacking in grammatical constructions that do justice to the active-passive hybrid state of mind involved in pulling off most real deeds on Earth. Sentence after sentence, our language forces us to choose between active voice and passive voice.

This book is a dream come true for grammar geeks looking to delve into the deeper meaning of grammar. I think I'm going to love it.