In the late 1980s David Crystal wrote his testament to human language, celebrating the world's diversity and reveling in the beauty and complexity of expression. But even great references need the occasional overhaul. Crystal's new edition takes into account the linguistic changes wrought in the decade since the original's inception. With the introduction of new topics (conversational misunderstandings, for example), a more pleasing typeface, and full-color pictures, the tour de force that was his first edition has been upgraded to a new level of quality.