In Eats, Shoots and Leaves, Truss presents her knowledge on the use of punctuation in a way that is meant to inspire writers to communicate their point at a mastery level. While the proper use of apostrophes and commas demonstrates ‘confidence in yourself and respect for your reader’, Truss assures that the proper use of colons and semicolons ‘mark you out as a master of your craft’ (p. The chapter entitled ‘Airs and Graces,’ gives a detailed discussion on the proper use of colons and semi-colons, which are often under-utilized by writers the world over. Truss also discusses several, often forgotten, forms of punctuation. organizing words into sensible groups and making them stay put’ (p. For instance, in the chapter entitled ‘That’ll Do, Comma’, Truss traces the evolution of the comma as guide for actors in Ancient Greece to the modern usage of commas as ‘grammatical sheepdog. Truss delves into the history behind the evolution of punctuation, instead of merely explaining how it is used. Each chapter provides the reader with detailed explanations of how to properly (and improperly) use the wide array of punctuation. Though Truss is a bit pedantic about the smaller nuances of punctuation, the information offered in the book is presented in a witty and relatable manner. The cover shows a panda bear holding a smoking gun, showing that the unnecessary comma can completely change the meaning of the title. As the book’s cover demonstrates, a failure to properly punctuate can lead to disastrous results.
Eats, Shoots and Leaves is not a book about grammar it is about using punctuation effectively to convey proper meaning. ‘The reason it’s worth standing up for punctuation is not that it’s an arbitrary system of notation’, Truss assures the reader, ‘the reason to stand up for punctuation is that without it there is no reliable way of communicating meaning’ (p. 6), the information presented in Eats, Shoots & Leaves is extremely valuable. However, despite Truss’s self-described ‘stickler’ nature (p. She jokingly suggests forming a militant vigilante wing of the Apostrophe Protection Society () to correct punctuation-gone-wrong in everyday society.
She admits that the absence of a question mark in a charity-shop sign (‘Can you spare any old records’) and the missing apostrophe in the movie title Two Weeks Notice make her a bit crazy. Lynne Truss admits early on in her book Eats, Shoots & Leaves hhat she is an ‘unattractive, know-all obsessive’ when it comes to punctuation (p. Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, London: Fourth Estate, 2009.
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