Grammar for the Soul: Using Language for Personal Change
By Lawrence A. Weinstein
125 pages. Quest.

Is a semicolon the sign of a generous heart? Does the passive voice reveal a becoming modesty ("I was awarded the Oscar" versus "I won the Oscar")? Are ellipses, those intriguing dots that stand for things that "go without saying," the key to intimacy? Lawrence A. Weinstein's Grammar for the Soul (Quest) is a witty meditation on the ways in which grammar can improve morale, bolster confidence, and provide an invigorating spiritual workout. "For the right person," writes this genteel grammarian, "that mere feather-weight, a comma, can alter the course of a day."