"Students who are new to the field at last have the opportunity to read the major seminal works by Ferguson, Fishman, Hymes, Labov, and a host of other luminaries while being guided regarding the relationship of these works to the developmental history of the field by concise but comprehensive introductions to each topic and by well-thought-out discussion questions at the end of each section. I heartily recommend this book to my colleagues and plan to use it myself in my introductory courses." Paul Lewis, SIL International "Sociolinguistics has grown so dramatically that a book of essential readings has become vitally necessary. Paulston and Tucker have put together a superb sample of the critical and the seminal, making this volume a milestone in its field." Joseph Lo Bianco, Language Australia: NLLIA "The combination of classic articles with more recent seminal articles will be welcomed by all students of the discipline as a most timely publication. The editors’ introductory comments, the bibliographies, and their recommendations for further reading help make the book an invaluable work of reference." Theo J. M. van Els, University of Nijmegen