The comparative methods has been applied to a range of African language families, says Dimmendaal (U. of Cologne), but the results have received little coverage in general textbooks. He seeks to make the literature on African language families available to a wider public, and to give the languages the place they deserve in the comparative study of human language. In particular, he wants students in African to have access to studies conducted in their own countries at a price they might be able to afford. He covers the comparative method, the linguistic manifestation of contact, and studying language in a wider context. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)