Sociolinguistics explores the relationship between society and language. Suzanne Romaine has written a lively and readable introduction to the field, covering both traditional and more recent issues such as language and gender, language in education, pidgins and creoles, and language change, drawing on examples from cultures all over the world. The text is suitable for first-year students studying on introductory courses, both general introductions to linguistics and to sociolinguistics, and for the general reader interested in language issues.