semantics , pragmatics , & philosophy of languages from oxford up a theory of linguistic signs rudi keller , heinrich heine university , dusseldorf translated by kimberley duenwald signs shape our lives : we are surrounded by signs , we surround ourselves with signs , and usually we are completely unaware of it . rudi keller shows how signs emerge , function , and develop in the permanent process of language change . he recombines thoughts and ideas from plato to the present day to create a new theory of the meaning and evolution of icons and symbols . by assuming no prior knowledge and by developing his argument from first principles , he has written a basic text which includes all the necessary features : easy style , good organization , original scholarship , and historical depth . this is a non-technical book which will interest linguists , philosophers , students of communications and cultural studies , semioticians / semanticists , sociologists , and anthropologists . december 1998 272 pp . ; 10 linecuts 0-19 - 823795 - 2 paper $ 19 . 95 0-19 - 823733 - 2 cloth $ 82 . 00 oxford university press understanding pragmatics jef verschueren , university of antwerp , belgium ( understanding language ) ( an arnold publication ) what do people do when using language ? how exactly is meaning generated when we communicate ? and why do we say one thing when we usually mean another ? examining the mental and social processes involved in communicating through language , understanding pragmatics is a comprehensive introduction to the subject . the book provides an outline of the thereotical basis of pragmatics , examines its major theoretical perspectives and explores its methodological issues . december 1998 288 pp . ; 7 halftones , 10 linecuts 0-340 - 64623 - 3 paper $ 19 . 95 0-340 - 64624 - 1 cloth $ 70 . 00 oxford university press _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ for more information about linguistics titles from oxford : visit the oxford university press usa web site at http : / / www . oup-usa . org or e-mail : linguistics @ oup-usa . org