Pub Res Q (2017) 33:495–496

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-017-9552-1

BOOK REVIEW

The Chicago Manual of Style, Seventeenth Edition

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1176 pp, $ 70.00
(Hardcover Cloth), ISBN: 978-0-226-28705-8

Gretchen Webster1

Published online: 17 October 2017

Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2017

Seven years ago The Chicago Manual of Style revolutionized its method of
providing information to the publishing world by offering an online edition of the
venerable guide. The revolution continues.
With the manual’s 17th edition, published in September, both the online and hard
copy editions address all kinds of issues not pertinent a decade or even seven years
ago. Among those are: citations for video games and multi-media apps;
proofreading tools for PDFs; copyright information on self-publishing agreements;
and new punctuation, spelling and grammar entries including cell phone instead of
cellphone, internet instead of Internet, email instead of e-mail, and—perhaps in a
moment of political optimism—Madam President instead of Mrs. or Ms. President.
However the University of Chicago Press has not forgotten its roots. The
1013-page book (not including a 129-page index) still has all the traditional
information that writers, editors and publishers expect from what is often called the
‘‘Bible’’ of the publishing world.
‘‘Once again, the recommendations in this manual have been guided by the
principles that have outlasted technological changes and cultural shifts,’’ explains
Russell David Harper in the preface of the 17th edition. Russell, an author and
editor, is listed as the edition’s principal reviser in the new edition’s
acknowledgements.
The editors at the University of Chicago Press make it easy for users to find out
exactly what has been changed or added in the manual’s newest edition. On its web
site (chicagomanualofstyle.org), clicking on ‘‘What’s New in the 17th Edition,’’ on
the Help & Tools page will lay it all out for the user. It couldn’t be simpler. And the
changes are listed in a format ranging from ‘‘clarified,’’ and ‘‘expanded’’ to
‘‘changed,’’ and ‘‘new.’’ In addition to some of the technology-driven modifications,

& Gretchen Webster

gretweb@sbcglobal.net
1
Fairfield, CT, USA

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changes also include entries on how to handle journal retractions, placement of

tables relative to text, a new section on syntax in the Grammar and Usage section, a
discussion of gender-neutral pronouns, and one of the most universally lauded
changes—accepting the abbreviation US for United States.
The hard copy version of the 17th edition of Chicago, like its predecessor, has
divided the manual into three major sections, each broken down into multiple
subsections. ‘‘Part I: The Publishing Process’’ and ‘‘Part II: Style and Usage,’’ bear
the same titles. The third section, now expanded, is called ‘‘Source Citations and
Indexes’’ in the most recent edition, a change from ‘‘Documentation.’’ The revisers
have updated the content fluidly, adding technological terms and other updated
entries everywhere along with more routine changes, much as technology and other
modern-day modifications have naturally entered everyday life. The manual’s hard
cover version also has a cleaner and more graphic layout than the previous edition,
with larger and clearer illustrations and tables, when needed.
But an accomplishment as great as the updated hard copy version must certainly
be the web site, which offers ongoing dialogue on so many aspects of the publishing
world in addition to the complete 17th edition. Free to all are the busy Shop Talk
Blog; video tutorials on using the manual; librarian, teacher and student resources;
and even an online store. Also accessible without a subscription is a ‘‘Citation Quick
Guide’’ that details the two varieties of Chicago-style source citations: notes and
bibliography, and author-date. And the Chicago Manual’s popular question and
answer section—now called ‘‘The New Questions and Answers’’ is fun to browse.
For example, ‘‘Here you go, dear’’ is correct and ‘‘Here you go dear’’ without the
comma is not—for anyone needing that information. And is ‘‘complimentary
parking available’’ a fragment, or a sentence requiring a period? (In a paragraph, put
in the period. If it stands alone, no period is required.)
A complete table of contents for the new edition is also openly accessible in
detail at chicagomanualofstyle.org. But the information beyond the detailed con-
tents list can only be accessed by subscribers. Also limited to subscribers is the
User’s Forum.
With an active web site and ongoing updates on issues of concern for working
writers, editors and publishers, The Chicago Manual of Style may be expanding its
niche and softening its reputation as an esoteric tome, mostly confined to publishing
offices. With additional online resources and real time communication with its
editors, a wider audience for the 100-year old reference tool may be ready and
waiting.
‘‘Students definitely use it. It is one of the mainstay citation styles, especially for
history,’’ a reference librarian at a Connecticut university said of the manual’s
online version. ‘‘I can’t imagine any academic library not having it.’’
The online subscription cost for The Chicago Manual of Style at:
chicagomanualofstyle.org is $39 for one year per individual subscription; $70 for
two years and $99 for three years, with special offers for new subscribers. The
hardcover version is listed at $70 from the publisher.

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