These two weighty volumes actually go far in showcasing the world's linguistic diversity, both past and present, in a format that is invitingly accessible to any reader with a modicum of familiarity with general linguistic terms and concepts. Engaging the curiosity of the nonspecialist is a very worthwhile goal as linguists succeed in bringing ever more language forms to the attention of the general public. However, because even the most dedicated linguist can intimately know only a miniscule fraction of the world's linguistic richness, the success of any encyclopedic treatment of world languages hinges crucially on the published sources consulted. Unfortunately, the omission of so many excellent publications is precisely this book's failing-and one that could only be rectified by preparing a third edition based on a thorough, systematic re-assessment of the best basic language descriptions available.