Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

I am not a psychologist, but I am a professional medical editor, and I feel sorry for those who must follow this style when writing theses, articles, book chapters, and other items for publication. In addition, I find some of the APA's requirements (particularly in the references, which have their own unique style quite unlike most others) incomprehensible.

That having been said, this book is a must for those who want to be published by the APA, and those who are editing for same. Once it has been read many times, and key passages put to memory, it is not as hard to understand--but it shouldn't be so hard. The section on figures and tables, however, is a truly excellent primer, for any professional writer, not just those in the health care professions.

My grade: C plus.


Great book...BUT   May 14, 2004
 20 out of 30 found this review helpful

This book is extremely easy to use. Full of information and most of my teachers use it as a foundation for grading our papers...however, the text is written in a light font. It makes it very hard to read. I have to hold the book at an angle and keep moving several times. I even went to a book store and found the book, hoping that perhaps this book was faulty. Unfortunatly, this was not the case. Too bad, its a good product, just hard to read, especially when you're tired, you don't need to straining your eyesight to make it better to see. It's a shame. It is a terrific book, easy to follow, with plenty of do's and don'ts etc.

The book is so good. I am seriously contemplating taking it to a Kwik Kopy and photocopying the entire book at a darker print to make it easier to read. The book is THAT GOOD.


The must-buy version   September 21, 2002
 18 out of 20 found this review helpful

Hard to review a style manual - they are all a pain in the butt to live/write with. However, this spiral bound version is the best, you can lay it down without having to type one handed while you consult it! Any price premium for the spriral binding is worth it, don't buy the regularly bound one, trust me!


Adequate, But Not User Friendly   January 6, 2005
 18 out of 21 found this review helpful

I bought this book as a required text for a graduate degree program that requires papers to be written in APA style. While one can certainly find answers to all sorts of APA reference and citation questions that come up when writing a paper, the truth is you often have to dig for it in a text that is dense and not logically laid out. The process can often be frustrating. Since this book is put out by the APA, many colleges require this particular reference book for students who must use APA style. As any student knows, however, one needs a book that is clear and easy to use -- particularly when so many of these "style" guidelines seem arbitrary and not always logical. Grabbing this book in the midst of writing a paper is bound to make you more frustrated. I urge students to seek out better reference books and think all of us students should lobby the universities to which we pay so much money to find reference books that make our lives easier, not more difficult.


Most complete guide to APA style   November 9, 2005
 18 out of 21 found this review helpful

Let's face it -- The Publication Manual of the APA isn't going to make Oprah's Book Club anytime soon. I'm not going to offer a review of which publication style is better (MLA, Chicago, or APA). That's irrelevant. The question one should ask is: Does this book provide an adequate guide to publishing in APA style?

Yes, it does.

This is a textbook, not a novel. As one reviewer sourly pointed out, it isn't compelling. It's not meant to be The Ultimate Guide to Harry Potter Fan Fiction. It's a concise guide to APA style.

If you are looking for no-nonsense complete information on APA style, this is the best and most authoritative guide on the market.

If you're looking to be entertained instead of educated, then buy yourself a copy of Eats, Shoots and Leaves.