For courses in first-year composition.

This version of LB Brief has been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of the MLA Handbook (April 2016)*

The authority and currency of The Little, Brown Handbook in a briefer, more affordable, spiral-bound format

LB Brief, Sixth Edition helps students to find what they need -- and to use what they find. This reliable reference merges the authority of its parent, The Little, Brown Handbook, with a more streamlined presentation. LB Brief maximizes that handbook's strengths, while keeping pace with the rapid changes in writing and its teaching. It answers questions about the writing process, critical thinking, grammar and style, research writing, documentation, and more. With a cross-curricular outlook, easy-to-use format, and assumption of little or no experience with writing or handbooks, LB Brief is ideal for students of all interests and skill levels.

* The 8th Edition introduces sweeping changes to the philosophy and details of MLA works cited entries. Responding to the "increasing mobility of texts," MLA now encourages writers to focus on the process of crafting the citation, beginning with the same questions for any source. These changes, then, align with current best practices in the teaching of writing which privilege inquiry and critical thinking over rote recall and rule-following.