Discourse Analysis

This review pertains to the 2004 reprint edition. Aside from the lousy type in the book (an old mimeograph machine could have made clearer print than whoever reprinted this edition), the content is excellent. Though originally copyrighted in 1983, the content is still relevant. The portrayal of DA is balanced, taking into account a wide array of research. The authors have done their readers a service in several ways: (1) the book is a good resource of DA terminology and concepts; (2) they look at the research critically, presenting pros and cons, and where appropriate, provide their own alternative theories; (3) they write in a manner that is surprisingly engaging and fairly easy to follow; (4) the data from which they glean examples are from real world discourse (if contrived, they tell the reader); (5) they provide a solid bibliography for anyone doing work in DA. I recommend this book.