1,000 Languages: The Worldwide History of Living and Lost Tongues

Printed in China on glossy paper of many hues, with 550 illustrations (400 of them in colour), this is a modestly priced, truly attractive, and trustworthy introduction to comparative study of languages, likely to prove both popular as a gift book for students and teachers alike. Its editor, Peter K. Austin, is Märit Rausing Professor of Field Linguistics and Director of the Endangered Languages Academic Programme at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has mobilised 13 professional linguists and area specialists, of acknowledged authority, in the daunting task of presenting a current awareness report on...