Click for larger image

One Thousand Languages: Living, Endangered, and Lost
Edited by Peter K. Austin
#UE8192 Hardcover, 288 pages; 2008 $26.36

  An illustrated encyclopedia of the astonishingly diverse range of languages spoken around the world, this fascinating reference book offers a scholarly yet accessible tour through global linguistic history. Organized by region, each entry details the number of speakers, key characteristics (including how to count to ten), linguistic origins, and more fascinating info about the featured dialect. Photographs, maps, and sidebars enhance the text. Beyond the major and minor languages of each geographical region, you'll find intriguing explorations into endangered and extinct tongues. One Thousand Languages is essential browsing material for anyone interested in the astounding complexity and beauty of human communication. (AG)