FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: THE ESSENTIAL READINGS. Barbara Lust and Claire Foley (Eds.). Oxford: Blackwell, 2004. Pp. xi + 442. $78.95 cloth, $38.95 paper.

The goal of understanding the processes and mechanisms by which a child acquires a first language (L1) is an ambitious one. The rapid progress in the field of L1 acquisition over the last 50 years or so, combined with the practical challenge posed by an increasingly multidisciplinary literature, presents a daunting picture to established scholars as well as newcomers. This volume, edited by Lust and Foley, is an outstanding collection of foundational readings in the philosophy and science of language acquisition. Anyone who wishes to understand the state of the field today—or has ambitions of contributing to its advancement tomorrow—will find this book a vital resource.