*The book under discussion is aimed as an introduction to African languages to a wider academic audience. It consists of the following chapters: Introduction (Chapter 1) by Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse; Niger-Congo (Chapter 2) by Kay Williamson and Roger Blench; Nilo saharan (Chapter 3) by Lionel M. Bender; Afroasiatic (Chapter 4) by Richard J. Hayward; Khoisan (Chapter 5) by Tom Gu¨ ldemann and Rainer Vossen; Phonology (Chapter 6) by G.N. Clements; Morphology (Chapter 7) by Gerrit J. Dimmendaal; Syntax (Chapter 8) by John R. Watters; Typology (Chapter 9) by Denis Creissels; Comparative linguistics (Chaper 10) by Paul Newman; Language and history (Chapter 11) by Christopher Ehret; Language and society (Chapter 12) by Ekkehard Wolff. Discussion of the volume is arranged according to the following themes: (2) structural features (chapters: Phonology; Morphology: Syntax; Typology); (3) sociolinguistics (chapter: Language and society); (4) comparative linguistics (chapters on language phyla: Comparative linguistics; Language and history); (5) Methods in language description; (6) Conclusion.