Persuasive ... . In writing as in real life, many of us would be relieved to see fewer !!! moments, but Ms. Hazrat’s splendid exploration of ! is stimulating even in an excitement-weary moment.
Brisk, enjoyably mischievous ... Hazrat also notices positive functions that tend to be ignored ... Along the way she shares some bright nuggets of information.
Hazrat notes the preponderance of the exclamation point in comic books, poster art, and political advertising ... A delightfully sprightly and pun-laden history.
The illuminating history traces how the rules of written language change over time, and the sharp analysis is grounded in a convincing philosophy of language, as when the author asserts that grammar should change as colloquial usage does because grammar’s purpose is to enable readers to 'feel our way' into a text.
