BOOK NOTICES 465 of the original 178 (in 16 chapters), the average length of each of the articles (as well as the number of chapters and articles) will increase. The chapters and articles have in part been restructured and realigned according to content and coverage; the introduction (xxix-xxxix) to the second edition outlines these structural revisions. A fair number of articles have also been assigned to new authors. In nearly every case these authors have published recently in their area(s) of expertise. Each article is thus authored by experts in their field; the bibliographies are impressively up-to-date; I count nearly 100 references to works printed in 1996, 25 or so from 1997, and even rare ones from 1998 or even 1999, usually listed as 'to appear' or 'in print'. Considering the size of the undertaking, especially these recent references represent a noteworthy organizational achievement by the editorial team. Equally important, the articles are each preceded by a clear outline. The dense information provided is nearly always concise, often containing numerous examples, and the authors do not shy away from critical assessments. While, as in the first edition , no attempt is made at exhaustive bibliographies, the field of German linguistics has grown exponentially , and in this regard, too, the references in this second edition provide a welcome update of the state of research. Misprints, errors, or inconsistencies are relatively rare; most aggravating perhaps are incorrect references to relevant other articles within the work; these misnumbered pointers undoubtedly can be traced to revisions in the planned layout of the chapters and articles. The index, eagerly anticipated by users, will make such references nearly superfluous , but it will not be available until the third and final volume appears. Leafing back and forth among these nearly folio-sized 'handbooks' will call for some effort and a sturdy desk. The two-tomed first edition proved well worth the effort. Anne Betten has joined the stellar editorial team of Besch, Reichmann, and Sonderegger. From these editors come some of the outstanding articles ofVol. 1, including Reichmann's new first article 'Sprachgeschichte : Idee und Verwirklichung' (1-41) and Sonderegger's 'Ansätze zu einer deutschen Sprachgeschichtsschreibung bis zum Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts ' (417-42). Sonderegger's history of German Bible translations (229-84) is a masterful treatment of an extremely important topic in the history of the language. Literary historians should not miss the insightful descriptions of textual transmission and editorial practices throughout the twelve hundred years of German textual production. Over and over again the reader becomes aware of the intimate relationship between the historical study of the language and the broader issues ofculture in the German speaking world. Philology, thus, is alive and well. The six chapters (my translations, followed by the number of articles under the heading) in Vol. 1 are: "The history of the German language and cultural history' (19), "The history of the language in its sociological meaning' (7), 'Historiographical stages of historical linguistic research along the time line' (7), 'History and the principles of historical linguistic research according to descriptive levels' (10), 'Methodological and theoretical issues' (14), and 'Genealogical and typological categorization of German' (5). No other work provides a comparable reliable introduction into such a vast array ofGerman linguistic issues. Both experienced researchers and novices will profit from the well-written contributions. A table of contents (v-xv) outlines the complete project, including Vols. 2 and 3, as conceived; it is hoped that a complete list of the very useful illustrations , tables, and maps will be included; the present volume has 87, most of which are quite useful. The indexes of abbreviations employed in the bibliographies (xvi-xx) and in the text (xxi-xxiii) serve a good purpose even if the latter is lacking dozens of abbreviations used. At DM 698.00/EUR 356.88 (or more) per book, the three volumes represent a tall order. Based on the contents of Vol. 1, no research library will want to do without the complete set of this new, sturdy edition. [John M. Jeep, Miami University .] The linguistics of giving. Ed. by John Newman. (Typological studies in language 36.) Amsterdam: John Benjamins , 1998. Pp. xv, 384. The editor...