The Beacon Handbook and Desk Reference

The Beacon Handbook and Desk Reference is a compact guide to a broad range of issues related to writing. Written in an accessible, non-technical style, The Beacon discusses the writing process, critical thinking, grammar, usage, punctuation, mechanics, and the research process, illustrating principles with both student and professional samples. The text's spiral binding makes it a convenient tool for students composing on the computer. Students receive the most up-to-date information on MLA documentation with the enclosed tri-fold card providing NEW 2009 MLA Handbook formats.

Robert Perrin (Ph.D., University of Illinois--Champaign/Urbana) is currently Chairperson of the Department of English at Indiana State University, after serving as Director of Writing Programs for seventeen years. He has won the University's Caleb Mills Award for distinguished teaching and the Theodore Dreiser Award for distinguished research, as well as the College of Arts and Sciences' Distinguished Professor award. He has published numerous articles on composition and teaching and has published seven textbooks and research guides, including The Beacon Handbook (six editions) and Handbook for College Research (three editions).