Product Description
This comprehensive textbook on CL programming for the AS/400 is a boon to programming career professionals, teachers and students. Bryan Meyers and Dan Riehl, NEWS/400 technical editors with 20 years' experience in CL programming between them, write from an up-to-the-minute knowledge of the skills required in today's MIS environment. Each chapter includes practical exercises and programming assignments graduated in difficulty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Best AS400 book so far
I'm so glad I bought this book. It's the best $15 that I've spent at Amazon.com. I bought it used and had some coffee marks in the first few chapters, but boy, this book is great! It also gives you an introduction of the AS/400 (OS/400). I know Windows, VMS, and UNIX, and I'm interested to know the AS400 because the product that I support also runs on the AS/400 platform. I sorted of gotten some ideas here and there but I wanted to learn more. This book is so great! My first AS400 book and I love it. I've ordered a few more other AS400 books together with this one; and have paid a lot more for the others. But this one beat them all! It's a very good book!

You can't return anything you buy from this seller
Service was ok but the book wasn't in the best condition. When I had to return it 2 weeks later, because my school changed the book, I couldn't. All my tries to contact the seller were unsuccessful. Be aware of that.

Muat have for students and professional programmers alike
I used this book in school for my Intro to AS/400 and Control Language Programming courses.It is surprisingly easy to follow and understand as far as programming books go.

Worst mistake I made was selling this book have completing my course work as I am now working as a AS/400 programmer and it is a really great reference manual.

Its a good book
This book is helpful for beginers and advanced programmer

Great tool to teach yourself CL
This book was definitely an effective tool in helping me learn and implement CL into my development techniques. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn CL or just wants a good reference book onhand ... Read more

Product Description
The Concise Companion to the English Language&R is a language lover's dream.Tom McArthur unveils a thousand-page cornucopia covering virtually every aspect of the English language as well as language in general. He covers a variety of topics, from Abbreviations to split infinitives, and includes substantial entries on key subjects such as African English, etymology, Pidgin, poetry, sexism, and slang.In addition, the Companion provides bibliographies for the larger entries, generous cross-referencing, etymologies for headwords, a chronology of English from Roman times to 1990, and an index of peopple who appear in entries or bibliographies. Packed with delightful surprises, the Companion will be an invaluable resource and a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the English Language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Wrong File Scanned
Kindle owners, beware!As of the date of this writing (11/30/2008) the wrong file was attached to this title.If you download it you will receive the Oxford Dictionary of Accounting.I have contacted Amazon Customer Service and had my money refunded.The person on the phone estimated that it would take a week or so for the mistaken file to be replaced.

Once it is, I expect to be able to upgrade my review considerably.I am familiar with the full, print version of this book and it is a small marvel.Brief articles address topics from "Aelfric of Eynsham" to "Lawrence Urdang", from "Americanisms" to the "Post-Creole Continuum", and throw in "Agentless Passives", "Classical Ending", "Dyslexia","Ethnic Names","Information","Presupposition","Rasta Talk", "Semantic Field","Strine", and "Zeugma".Depending, of course, on how much of the flavor of the original is retained I imagine that I will raise my rating to a three or a four.I will be delighted to be able to carry all of this around with me on a Kindle.

Very entertaining and interesting; hard to take seriously as a solid reference work
This work is a collection of essays of varying lengths on a wide variety of English-related projects.As such, it often makes for fascinating reading.As a reference work it falls a bit short, as the amount of attention given a particular topic seems to bear no relation to the topic's significance, nor does there seem to be any attempt at a comprehensive or well-rounded treatment of the book's subject.

Also, some of the articles have a tongue-in-cheek tone that seems a bit more casual than one would expect from a reference work; at the same time, this informality is an essential contributor to the unique character of this book.Similarly, the fact that the entire collection of esssays were written by a relatively small number of people allow for unique connections between topics -- I often found myself following paths of cross-references from one article to the next, as particular authors wrote articles on related or similar topics.(The entries on "Golden Bull Award", "Doublespeak", and related topics are truly memorable.)

Somewhat surprisingly for Oxford, there are actually several articles to which some might take offense, most notably the fairly extensive discussion of Black English Vernacular (BEV) wherein the definitions and the 'example' sentences and phrases seem -- astoundingly -- deliberately chosen from stock racial cliches.In mentioning the word 'crib', for instance, we read: "...once used to refer only to an infant's bed, comes to mean any place of residence, including a public housing project."Or, "As in Appalachian vernacular, the particle 'a' is oft used to express intention:"I'm a shoot you!""These seem so blatently lacking in political correctness (and expediency) that one must assume they're intended to be humorous.

These caveats notwithstanding, the book is a pleasure to read, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in theEnglish language.

An enyclopedia of English
People who love English already have a few books about advanced English usage, such as Fowler, and various style guides. I love Fowler; browsing its pages is a delight. The Oxford Companion (concise ed) is different. It's much more objective, and more encylopedic. There are entries on many important linguistic terms and concepts, excellent definitions of all the grammatical terms you'll come across (what does "dative" mean?), accurate surveys of areas like what is a dialect and what isn't, and the majorthreads of the academic debate are presented. Every letter of the alphabet is given its history. Curious about Scouse? About the impact of Samuel Johnson and his dictionary? What is the state of opinion about the Sapir-Whorfian Hypothesis? Estuary English? Regional dialects of North America? I can't believe I haven't had this book on my shelf since the moment it was published, and I'm busy making a list of people to give it to. This a breakthrough contribution to books about English.

Everything you need to know about literary terminology
This book is one of the better purchases I have ever made. Every time I need a detail about the English language,literary devices and terminology, or grammatical usage, this book always has a couple of paragraphs to explain what I need to know -- and usually a handful of cross references to related topics.All with the usual careful and thorough treatment you expect from Oxford.Everylibrary should have a copy of this book.

The Oxford Companion to the English Language
There are many things I would like to know about the English Language, but too few of them are here.For example the history of English is disposed of in three pages.I should have liked to have seen 30 or so.To be surethere are other historical entries, though insufficient cross referencing. The chronology following the above entry is largely of English historyrather than of language history.In place of these things are pages ofinformation one could do without; trivia relating to broadcasting oreditions of dictionaries.A topical index would have been nice.Everytrue philologist will nonetheless want this work. ... Read more

Product Description
This new, thoroughly revised edition of the acclaimed Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language incorporates the major developments in language study which have taken place since the mid 1990s. Two main new areas have been added: the rise of electronic communication in all its current forms from email to texting, and the crisis affecting the world's languages, of which half are thought to be so seriously endangered that they will die out this century. • All language statistics have been updated, and additional information provided about their linguistic affiliation• All topics involving technology have been revised to take account of recent developments, notably in phonetics, language disability, and computing• Maps have been revised to include new countries or country names• Special attention has been paid to fast-moving areas such as language teaching and learning• The text design has been completely updated with many new illustrations throughout ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Enlish Language
This book is quite interesting - I have read books by Mr. Crystal before and enjoyed how he writes them.It is set up like a text book, but very easy to read.
... Read more

Product Description
Language is closely linked to our social relationships and is the medium through which we participate in a variety of social activities. This fascinating study explores the important role of language in various aspects of our social life, such as identity, gender relations, class, kinship, status, and hierarchies. Drawing on data from over thirty different languages and societies, it shows how language is more than simply a form of social action; it is also an effective tool with which we formulate models of social life and conduct. These models - or particular forms of social behaviour - are linked to the classification of 'types' of action or actor, and are passed 'reflexively' from person to person, and from generation to generation. Providing a unified way of accounting for a variety of social phenomena, this book will be welcomed by all those interested in the interaction between language, culture, and society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

one of the best linguistic anthropology books around
Whether you are familiar with linguistic anthropology or not, this book will change the way you approach language and is written in such a coherent way that one can grasp and use the often technical vocabulary included. Agha has a particular insight into the nature of language and its place in society. I highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in developing a robust and insightful approach to sociolinguistics or linguistic anthropology.

difficult but methodical
Offers a surprisingly comprehensive view of language in society, one that works in some of the fundamental insights and concepts of linguistic anthropology, like indexicality, performativity, and other buzzwords.

Style is dense but very coherent.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
With contributions from the biggest names in the pattern community, this book encodes design expertise that too often remains locked in the minds of expert designers. The topics covered in this new volume span a broad range of disciplines including client/server programming, software design, financial services, object-oriented design, human interface design, and more.Amazon.com Review
The second volume in the Pattern Languages of Program Designseries offers plenty of hands-on design patterns, including examplesdrawn from C++ to illustrate pattern use in the real world. The bookstarts out with some useful programming tips (called idioms) inC++ and Smalltalk for managing memory efficiently and writing fasterprograms. Subsequent sections look at design patterns (perhaps themost immediately useful kind), including the Command Processor forexecuting commands, and the Observer Pattern for building efficientcomponents. There's some extensive research on the Proxy pattern,which presents many extensions for a variety of network anddistributed solutions. A variety of special-purpose patterns comenext, offering expertise on how to organize multimedia applicationsand design backup redundancy into software. Further chapters in thisbook cover patterns and how they apply to the software-engineeringprocess. A particular highlight is Frank Buschmann's treatment ofreflection, which allows for highly customizable objects and anevaluation of a variety of patterns for managing software projects.

Some of the most accessible and intriguing material are thediscussions on patterns for use in the classroom, how to createeffective demonstration software, and how to set up a Web site forarchiving essays. The book closes with papers on concurrency anddistributed systems, featuring several tried-and-true patterns forminimizing the difficulties inherent in large-scale systems andreactive systems (which must process events from users or other inputsin real-time). In all, this second compendium of pattern research hasa good mix of the accessible and the arcane and is a worthwhile choicefor your library. --Richard Dragan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Rich for ideas, poor for effective solutions
The article gathered here are essentially alexandrian like papers, where general ideas and goals appears clearly, but expressed in a very textual way. So, there is not a lot of stuff on effective design patterns.Hopefully there is some (and even good ones), but it's not obvious that itjustify the book size. If you are rather new to patterns (you've just readthe "Design pattern" and / or "Pattern oriented softwarearchitecture"), consider first the third volume. If you like it, thenconsider to buy this one. If you REALLY REALLY like it, then consider tobuy the first volume

Pattern articles capture expertise!
I was at the PLoP conference where the articles in this book were written (mine is number 24).It's a writers' workshop where each paper is metaphorically ripped in shreds and then reassembled, better than before.We worked hard to make these patterns right.Did our work pay off?You better believe it.I've read this book and the first in the series both cover to cover, and the best of this book is equal to the best of the first one.The average quality is higher.

Buy it just for Crossing Chasms, a comprehensive look at all the headaches you get when you try to marry relational databases to object systems.Or buy it just for Demo Prep, which will tell you how to achieve your goals with software demos - happy customers, happy programmers.

Or maybe you need to read my article, Patterns for Classroom Education, which tells you how (and why) to design a course to teach computer programming - or any technical skill. ... Read more

Product Description
This valuable reference is designed to help students master the English vocabulary and idioms needed to succeed in an English-speaking medical environment. Each section delivers a reading and exercises focused around an up-to-date overview of a contemporary medical topic and the functions of the various professionals who provide the care. All medical personnel who want to improve their English communication skills will find this guide indispensable. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the linguistics of Korean. It presents essential facts about the language: its speakers, its relation to other languages of the world, historical development, dialects (including the differences between South and North Korean), writing systems, the composition and structure of words, and sound patterns and syntax. It provides a wealth of examples and user-friendly descriptions that do not presuppose advanced knowledge of either linguistic theory or Korean on the part of the reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

ESL Teachers' Aid
I am an ESL teacher. I bought this book to understand the phonotactic constraints of Korean. It has been immensely useful fordesigning more productive lessons plans. I wish I had invested in this bookwhen it was first written.

It is comprehensive and clearly written. I refer back to it on a weekly basis while planning my American English Pronunciation classes. Now I understand why my students say [wal. rut] instead of [wal.nut], replacing the onset [n] with a [r]. (I apologize for using inappropriate IPA symbols).

Although, it was not the goal of the book, I would likea chapter abouthow to teach Korean Native Speaker English prosody within the constraints so clearly elucidated in the book.

Solid but Nothing Extraordinary
This solidly-written survey of the Korean language is part of the Cambridge Language Survey series. Whilst fairly comprehensive and detailed, the book maintains reader interest for most parts, being aimed at theprofessional or amateur linguist. For the general reader, however, themeticulous description of Korean grammar that is the final chapter becomessomewhat tedious, as does the preceding chapter on word formation.

Sohn'ssurvey of Korean is refreshingly broads, covering general and historicalbackground of the language, genetic affiliation, dialects, lexicon,orthography, phonology, morphology and syntax. In general, each section islucidly written, and, where it does not get bogged down by detail,enjoyable to read.

The book is on the whole fairly accurate, although afew minor textual and factual errors have crept in, e.g., the statementthat Chinese characters comprise 1 to 32 strokes, where in fact charactersexist with many more than 32 strokes. Compared to the content of the text,however, these errors are insignificant.

Physically, the book is wellprinted, the typeface being sufficient large and clear. The Chinesecharacters and Hangul are also clearly printed.

All in all, Sohn's 'TheKorean Language' is a solid survey of the language, on the whole fairlyobjective, although a certain bias favouring the Korean language isevident, and perhaps not entirely unexpected. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first work to apply complex systems science to thepsychological interplay of order and chaos. The author draws onthought from a wide range of disciplines-both conventional andunorthodox-to address such questions as the nature ofconsciousness, the relation between mind and reality, and thejustification of belief systems. The material should provoke thoughtamong systems scientists, theoretical psychologists, artificialintelligence researchers, and philosophers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Rare Gem
This book audaciously puts forth an "equation of mind" in the first chapter, and from there goes on to derive language, thought, and reality... and it succeeds! My only complaint is that the author sometimesresorts to formalism and math where it doesn't seem to add anything tounderstanding of a point.But the technical sections are clearly marked,and you can usually "hum along" without being distracted by thedetails. This ambitious book is a good read and highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
While literacy has always been central to language planning work, there are fewer studies which focus primarily on literacy as a language planning activity. This volume investigates the complex issues and social and political pressures relating to literacy in a variety of language planning contexts around the world. ... Read more

Product Description
There are more than six thousand languages used around the world today, although linguists now estimate that by the year 2050 as many as half of those will be extinct. This beautifully designed, engagingly written reference takes us on a panoramic tour of the globe to explore this unique and endangered human gift. Generously illustrated throughout with color photographs, informative sidebars, and clear maps and graphics, One Thousand Languages illuminates the sources, characteristics, and interrelationships of the world's spoken tongues. It looks in detail at the eleven global languages, then delves into the major languages of each world region in turn. Each entry gives a history of the growth and development of the language, details the number of speakers, and traces its geographical spread. The volume also provides information on many extinct languages. A detailed map section tracks the migrations of the major languages, and the book also tells how to count to ten in more than 250 ways.
Copub: Ivy Press Limited ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One Thousand Languages
I found this book really interesting. I thought it had a lot of information about various langauges. Also, before each langauge section such as european langauges, it gives you a brief over view of all language groups such as germanic, romance and slavic as well as what langauges will be discussed in the following chaper. A lot of the informaiton I found to be very intriguing and would recommend this book to anyone.

An enjoyable coffee- table book - Some books are to be dabbed in and out of
This is not a book for scholars, but rather for the general reader who would like to get a kind of map of the world's language. As a non- linguist I cannot vouch for the accuracy of information imparted. There is much of great interest here for someone who would like to dip in and dip out collecting odd facts and perceptions on Language and languages. We are told at the outset that ninety- six percent of the world's people speak four percent of its language. And that four percent speak ninety- six percent of its language. There is a special section devoted to the major languages, among which are Han Chinese with over a billion English with 760 million Hindi, Spanish, Portugese, Arabic. There is a great deal on small languages which I suspect very few people have heard of. Each language is described briefly, and without real depth. There is also a chapter on dead languages.
On the whole this is an entertaining and informative coffee- table book which I believe most people would enjoy looking at.

Good idea, poorly executed.
I enjoy languages and browsing, and was excited to get a copy of the book. The book is well set out, with some colourful (but not very large) pictures to browse through. The sweep of languages is impressive, although space considerations mean that many of them are only given a paragraph or so, unfortunately.

The real problem I have with the book, though, comes down to accuracy and editing. I don't know to what extent Prof. Austin supervised the entirety of the book, but I was very disappointed with lack of fact-checking and some egregious omissions. For example, some (but sadly, not all) of the languages include a small inset with the numbers from one to ten in that language. For the section on Arabic, one of the eleven "world languages" given their own section, the Arabic script is not only backwards (read from left to right) but each letter is left unconnected to others in the word. Arabic is NEVER written this way, and there are 200+ million people in the world who could have corrected this. Malagasy, the language of Madagascar, has 20 million speakers, not 10 million (as the book claims). The Russian word for "one" (in counting) is raz, not odin (in Cyrillic, of course). Et cetera.

In addition, most of the later languages in the book (ie, the non-"world" languages) get short shrift. Languages are presented individually as rather random collections of facts, with no real consistency in how each language is described (eg, sample words/phrases, grammar, geographical spread, linguistic history) - it's a crapshoot for any given language. Some of this is probably due to lack of knowledge, but it would have been nice, for example, to have the numbers from 1-10 for each language, just to get a feel for it.

It's glossy and pretty and is an OK coffee table book, but shows its lack of depth after more than five minutes of reading. I think if 1,000 languages had been pared to a few hundred, with more pictures, examples, and better attention paid to each, it would have been a far better result. I was disappointed - I'd been hoping for more. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1952, this study discusses the development of Greek prose during the fifth century and analyzes its use of abstract forms of expression, word-order, sentence structure, use of repetition, asyndeton and assonance. ... Read more

Product Description
This book enables teachers to explore story-telling as discourse in the language classroom and provides examples of meaningful activities which can be easily used in a range of teaching situations. Stories has three main sections, an introduction which outlines the conceptual framework of narrative, an activities section for use in the classroom and a storybank to support the activities.There is also a useful list of further resources. Outside the language classroom, stories provide an authentic and universal form of communication. Stories are a familiar and reassuring way of acquiring language and therefore can be easily applied to the language classroom. This book will help teachers who are interested in using stories in the classroom, but looking for a place to start. Unlike other books Stories is for teachers of adults, both young and old. ... Read more

Product Description
Cutting-edge in its approach and international in its authorship, this fourth monograph in a series sponsored by the Chinese Language Teachers Association features eight research studies that explore a variety of themes, topics, and perspectives important to a variety of stakeholders in the Chinese language learning community. Employing a wide range of research methodologies, the volume provides data from actual Chinese language learners and will be of value to both theoreticians and practitioners alike. [in English & Chinese] ... Read more

Product Description
Praised for its fresh and informed discussion of language instruction and language acquisition, the first edition of Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen was recognized by the Modern Language Association as one of the twenty most influential methods textbooks. The authors are both internationally recognized scholars in the field of second language acquisition research and have also written numerous successful language textbooks. The guiding principle of Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen is the premise that communication is the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning, and not simply oral expression. Following that framework, Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen helps instructors develop communicative classroom environments that blend listening, speaking, reading, and writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Superb book for Methods Courses
VanPatten has a gift for writing and a penchant from staying away from the trendy, faddish, or easy answers. This isn't a pure methods book--VanPatten cribs some from his book on SLA "From Input to Output" and brings in SLA research that focuses on best practices. VanPatten details in this book, his own approach to instruction--Processing Instruction (PI). PI differs from traditional grammar approaches because the exercises deal with meaningful communication and PI differs from totally communicative methods because explicit grammar instruction may be given on difficult points that learners struggle over.
Interestingly enough, I agree with a lot of what the poster said who gave a low rating to this book because they felt many of the exercises were more for university learners rather than high school ones. That may be true. VanPatten comes from the university teaching environment. However, I believe that this book deals with methods excellently, PI incorporates good practice, and after reading it, a high school teacher will be able choose the *textbook* for their language class that incorporates best practice. In other words, this book is many things, but it is not a cookbook. But after reading it, you'll be able to know what you should be doing in language classes--and what you shouldn't.

Has made me rethink my teaching of language
I recently returned to teaching Spanish after several years of teaching English composition.So far during this first year back I've had many moments of frustration in teaching grammar and conjugations despite knowing that the kids were only learning it for a test/quiz and would not remember it much longer than that.What's the point?Lee and VanPatten's book should be required reading for all language teachers as it provides much food for thought as to the efficacy or even the 'point' of traditional grammar-based language teaching.Language teaching is so grammar-driven because it's the easiest way to 'measure' student learning and give them a grade.I find Lee and VanPatten's research into input processing very intriguing, and obviously a must for language teaching if we are to help our students truly 'learn' or acquire a language.

Give this book a chance!
I must disagree with the reviewer who could not find applicability in her secondary French classroom.I have found Lee and VanPatten's approach to teaching grammar quite enlightening, and it has prompted me to change the way I will structure such activities in my middle school Spanish classes. Considering the considerable research they presented in support of their theories regarding structured input, there is little reason we should continue with traditional grammar instruction without even giving processing instruction methods a chance.It is understandable that moving from an explanatory, resarch-based text toward immediate application in the classroom can be confusing and frustrating.Try viewing sample copies of the text books the authors have worked on, ¿Sabías qué...? or Vistazos, to see how they created structured input activites in beginning level Spanish. Perhaps this could assist in creating similar activities in whatever language you teach.

A great book for college teachers but not secondary ones.
I used this book for a graduate level course on Foreign Language Teaching Methodology given by my school district.I am a secondary level French teacher.The theories of instruction that this book explores are very enlightening, however the practical examples it offers are more suitable for university level instruction.My biggest complaint with this text is that the examples of communicative language teaching methods it offers are in English and are too vague to lend themselves to practical application.One is left wanting more specifics than the examples give, especially when the text advocates such activities as "brainstorming" or group input activities.For example, how can one brainstorm in the target language when that is precisely what one is trying to teach?I made lots of notes in my copy of the text, but I have not had success in applying what I've learned in my classroom.

Useful for new students of second language acquisition
I read this as a master's candidate in a TESL in Washington, DC. I found it relatively easy to read.Still, it's academically written and focuses on theories and research done on second language acquisition.Topics covered include grammar in communicative language, speaking, reading and writing.This book is for those who want to take a step forward into academia and research in teaching methodology. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides detailed instructional strategies, sample lesson plans, and sample assessments so that foreign language teachers can make the best use of the additional time. ... Read more

Product Description
Raji M. Rammuny's Business Arabic, Intermediate Level is intended for intermediate learners who have completed at least two regular years of Arabic study. It contains twenty-one lessons, in addition to a general introduction that includes useful information on Arab countries. The lessons are arranged by situational topics pertinent to travel, social, and business interactions. Each lesson is supported by audio and video cassettes of about two to five minutes each. The set of dialogues employs a specific form of spoken standard Arabic that is flexible enough to be understood throughout the Arab world. Learners who successfully complete this part will be able to perform well in a variety of situations, both social and business. The cultural notes and questions for discussion in each lesson familiarize the learners with Arab social customs and prepare them to start examining one's own culture and that of the Arab world.
The volume expects students to have control of basic vocabulary and grammatical structures that are typically covered in the first two years of Arabic instruction. Grammatical notes are given for review purposes, where necessary.
... Read more

Product Description
This book is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the native North American languages. These several hundred languages show tremendous genetic and typological diversity, and offer numerous challenges to current linguistic theory. The book includes an overview of their special characteristics, descriptions of special styles, a catalog of the languages that details their locations, genetic affiliations, number of speakers, and major structural features, and lists published material on them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Far and away the best book on Amerindian languages
As someone who creates languages for fun, I've read a lot of linguistics books, searching for ideas and inspiration.Recently, I became interested in polysynthesis, but could find no detailed information on it.Then I found this book.The first three hundred pages are full of unique linguistic features.Polysynthesis is covered in great detail, as is almost every rare grammatical structure.The sheer scope of this book is tremendous.Mithun claims to include every attested North American language, and I believe her.Also, the extensive references (almost 150 pages) make it easy to locate information on specific languages (like full grammars, phonologies, et cetera).Highly recommended to anyone interested in linguistics, and a must-read for any conlanger.

The astonishing diversity of human speech
People who are interested in unusual languages, like myself, probably have some familiarity with Marc Okrand's Klingon, created to be the speech of an alien race.This artificial language throws in some less than common sounds, and creates a somewhat unusual syntax, and attempts to sell the result as the speech of an alien race.

A few minutes with this book will suggest to the reader who takes an interest in these things that Klingon is a profound failure.Here we have a record of people here on Earth who have created alternative linguistic structures that are even more unfamiliar to English speakers.This book will open your mind to the astonishing variety of ways human verbal communication can be categorised and organised.We have languages with no clear distinction between nouns and verbs, and languages that can give tense and conditionality to adjectives.We have languages that use different pronouns for a 'we' that includes the person being addressed, and a 'we' that excludes that person.

For a reader with interests in these matters, this will be a fascinating, if somewhat dry, read.Your joy at being introduced to this fascinating variety will be tempered, though, by the ever-present elegiac note in these pages.Literally hundreds of these tongues are still spoken only by a handful of aging people; hundreds more have gone silent.

A Great Linguistic Reference
This book is chock full of linguistic information about the many diverse Amerindian languages and has an excellent bibliography. My only regret is that it includes almost nothing on Amerindian sociolinguistics. It would probably be difficult and dry reading for people not already interested in linguistics; most of the book is fairly technical.

Great reference
Marianne Mithun is *the* expert on Native American languages.This book is an excellent resource for grad students, undergrads, professors, and anyone else interested in the languages of the Americas.Mithun describes in detail language phenomena and language families, and includes an extensive bibliography in case you can't find what you're looking for in this book. ... Read more