This book on social theory offers an abstract, selective depiction of sociolinguistics, to promote W.'s displeasure with aspects related to notions as evolutionism, functionalism, social order and individualism. W.'s critique stems from a metatheoretical view of sociological theory; he never directly addresses methodological ad empirical issues. His main point is that sociolinguistics uses Parsonian structural functionalism, but he doesn't address the link of such theory to practicing sociolinguistics.