An abundantly illustrated, attractively designed introductory reference which incorporates some combination of photos, maps, charts, and boxed features on virtually every page, yet manages an uncluttered look. Ten contributed chapters discuss the language families of each region of the world, including explanations of interesting features of grammar and vocabulary and discussion of the cultural and other aspects of language dissemination, development, and decline. The evolution of writing systems is also addressed. 9×12″ Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.