This impressive volume, organised geographically, sets out information on 80 writing systems in danger of being lost or replaced by majority scripts like Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic or Devanagari. It includes history and current state of each one, samples of use, and pointers to sources of further information. It is an invaluable guide for anyone interested in this aspect of threatened cultures around the world. -- Peter Austin, Emeritus Professor, SOAS University of London An Atlas of Endangered Languages is a voyage of visual expression, which illuminates the spiritual bond between languages and their writing systems. It reminds us of the culture, ecology, and mythic resonance in every glyph. Read it. You'll end up curious about what makes us different, proud of what makes us the same, and eager to explore what will no doubt feel like a larger, more lovely world. -- Daniel Bögre Udell, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Wikitongues An Atlas of Endangered Alphabets could perfectly well be bought as a "coffee table book" (get it on your festive wishlist now!) - it looks beautiful, and you can dip in whenever you feel like it for a nugget of fascinating information. But it is much more than that. This is a call to action: these rich cultural traditions won't be around much longer if their users continue to struggle against political oppression, language loss and lack of resources - so we must all act while we can, however we can. -- Dr Philippa M. Steele, Principal Research Associate, Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge Writing is art, language, design, and engineering rolled into one. Every script tells the story of the linguistic and material worlds in which it thrives. Tim Brookes' journey through this rich terrain is a global tour de force just when these sumptuous scripts are at their most vulnerable. His work is an invitation to pick up your pen, brush, or quill and fill your page with joyous swirls. -- Daniel Harbour FBA, Professor of the Cognitive Science of Language, Queen Mary University of London This book ... is a brilliant achievement. -- Chris Moseley, Foundation for Endangered Languages
