Useful Reference Books for Those Who Write

If you plan to have a career as a scholar, likely you will be writing a good deal. The basics might be

American Heritage Dictionary, about $40 from amazon--less permissive than most. (Garner likes this one.)

Chicago Manual of Style, about $40, if you ever plan to publish.

Garner's Modern American Usage, about $26, for a very large and detailed guide to usage.