Part 1. The madness. Spelling well: the first step to graceful communication -- What does your spelling say about you? -- Some compelling reasons for spelling well -- The spelling brain -- The spelling police: who makes up these rules, anyway? -- Spelling and technology: a love/hate relationship. Part 2. The method. The secrets of good spellers -- Using the rules -- Avoiding confusion -- Some things to keep up your sleeve -- Diagnostic tests -- The value of a dictionary -- The value of listening -- The value of visualizing -- The value of motor memory -- Common roots -- Common prefixes -- Common suffixes -- The value of proofreading -- Mnemonic devices -- Commonly misspelled words -- Answers.