Labov: A Guide for the Perplexed

Matthew J. Gordon is Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of Missouri, USA

• Acknowledgements \ List of Figures \ 1. The Challenges of Labov \ 2. Linguistics and Sociolinguistics before Labov \ 3. How to Establish a Field as a Graduate Student \ 4. A Variationist Approach to Language \ 5. Speech Styles and Discourse \ 6. The "Socio" of Sociolinguistics \ 7. Labov as Historical Linguist \ 8. African American English: Lessons Learned, Lessons Taught \ 9. The Revolution at 50 \ Bibliography \ Index

Labov makes an apt subject for a volume in Continuum's series Guides for the Perplexed, which seeks to provide concise, undergraduate-level introductions to writers and subjects often perceived to be dauntingly complex. Matthew Gordon's book fulfils the remit admirably, offering an instructive and accessible companion to Labov's work and the variationist approach to language description and change... this guide is a clear success: in keeping a narrow focus on Labov's own research (from his renowned Martha's Vineyard and New York City studies to his engagement with African American Vernacular English and the mapping of current North American dialects), Gordon manages to tell the "life story" of sociolinguistics in a compact and coherent manner.