The Chicago Manual of Style

This is a must need for those that are wanting to be authors.
Save time and editing by doing it right first.

Still the standard for editors and copy editors. The 15th edition is much more geared than previous editions for those working on a computer and doing research on the internet. However, do not throw away your copy of the 14th edition, for to make room for new material in the 15th edition much of the detailed advice on punctuation and and usage in the 14th edition has been omitted from the 15th edition.

This book tells you everything you need to know to properly edit a written piece. It also explains the process of publishing, parts of a book, and gives tips to every person involved in the publishing process (author, editor, typesetter, publisher, etc.). The more recent editions (15 and up) give additional information about publishing in electronic formats (e-book, print-on-demand, and web publishing). A must for every bookshelf.

Bought this for my wife for Christmas one year. The price was much better on Amazon than anywhere else. She's a professional editor and this book is her goto manual for when even she gets stumped. If you edit for a living this book will sure pay for itself quickly.

This book is an invaluable resource to those studying history in college. It does not have the focus on papers and theses that Turabian's book has. It is, however, more complete than Turabian's book where the details of citation are concerned. Having used both books, I would say that if you're not going to buy both, then purchase this one. It will definitely be a big help to you in citing your sources.