A review of style guides

An historical approach to the study of the development of style manuals for book publishers and writers is undertaken. Guides of the ancient world are discussed and compared with the most widely used of today's manuals. Included is an evaluation of the changes that have occurred during this century. A shift from the publisher-oriented style manual to those with a greater concern for the needs and guidance of the author is seen. Today's spirit of cooperation appears to dominate the manuals that are now being published. The value of style manuals as a factor in helping to limit the ever-increasing costs in publishing is discussed and suggestions for improvement of format are presented.