This is a classic book on a captivating subject. Peter Trudgill examines the close connection between language and society and the many factors that influence the way we speak. These include gender, environment, age, race, class, region, and politics. Trudgill's book reviews languages and societies from around the world, using examples from Afrikaans to Yiddish. He has added an interesting chapter on the development of a language as a result of its use by a non-native speaker. This fascinating and reliable volume is ready to redefine the boundaries of the study of sociolinguistics.