Its user-friendly design, encouraging tone, concise explanations, and thorough coverage, examples, and "how-to" guidance make The Ready Reference Handbook a book students will find helpful for nearly any writing assignment throughout their college career and into professional life.

The Ready Reference Handbook teaches students how to write successfully within rhetorical contexts: understanding the writing situation, deciding on key traits of their audiences, choosing an appropriate purpose, finding and developing topics, writing "revisable" first drafts, and revising, editing, and proofreading so their writing has the polish appropriate to academic and public writing. The emphasis throughout is on the process of writing. It also teaches students how to recognize and solve common problems of grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, and style. It also provides detailed guidance for research writing, argumentation, writing about literature, business and professional writing, and writing online.

The new edition does even more to help students focus on the key elements of successful writing. More “How to” and Computer tip boxes provide instant access and advice in the areas students need it most, while new “Focus On…” charts on each tabbed divider direct students to the essential areas in each section of the book. Easy to use and always encouraging, The Reference Ready Handbook provides students with the ultimate quick reference guide for any writing situation.