This review is not of this volume of the study alone, but of the four I know of in the series. The books on written languages give as complete a survey of every useful index of the languages presented, as even any layman, in addition to scholars, can desire in research upon the factual elements reletive to any discussion or understanding of language and linguistic based political conflict
It's format allows easy briefing on essential facts: population of speakers, both as first and second language, script(s) in use, when the language enters written history together with the first titles of works known, modern language probable descent from dead languages, and the array of usage: schools that teach it, broadcasts in the language, legal status, sometimes even in very small districts, whether the language is promoted, tolerated or suppressed. There's a discussion of publications in the language, and how many foreign language publications are translated into the subject language, in addition to translations of the subject language into foreign languages. It is one of the most supurb linguistic surveys ever undertaken. I rate it 11 out of 10 possible points. No library can truly call itself cosmopolitan without these books. Kisses, rainbows, and flowers to all who are responsible for its production. The only improvement I could suggest from my needs is if they were to include percentages of literate speakers of the languages. Kudos. The Academy Award statue for Language.