Book excerpt: The Broadview Guide to Writing is a concise yet uncommonly thorough text with a fresh approach to the craft of essay writing. The first part of the book discusses the style and structure of essay writing, and includes a useful discussion of the intangibles involved in the writing process—such as confidence, perseverance, and a willingness to deal with criticism constructively. The second part of the book provides thorough coverage of grammar and usage in a comprehensive reference guide, ranging from the simplest mechanical issues (such as subject verb agreement) to subtle distinctions between words that have similar meanings. A wide range of examples is included throughout the book. The fifth edition incorporates the 2008 changes to MLA Style guidelines for documentation and includes a number of other changes that make it far better suited than previous editions to the needs of American writers in the twenty-first century.