Holes (the contemporary Arab world, U. of Oxford) offers not a textbook in particular, but an introduction and reference that could find a place in an academic course. He explains not only Modern Standard Arabic, but also the structure of the modern Arabic dialects in their multifarious geographical and social varieties. The 1995 first edition was out of print by 1999, and the publisher declined for financial reasons to reprint it. The second is corrected but not revised. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)