APPLIED LINGUISTICS. Guy Cook. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Pp. vii + 134. £8.95 paper.

This volume is the latest in the Oxford Introductions to Language study series, edited by H. G. Widdowson, and, as such, it provides a general and gradual introduction to the field through the use of intelligently crafted prose that facilitates the nonspecialist's ability to grasp the general concepts and controversies in this discipline. In this regard, Cook's book is intended for a different audience than other books on applied linguistics meant for specialists in the field (e.g., McCarthy, 2001; McDonough, 2002; Seidlhofer, 2003).