Everyone's Own Language: A Guide to the International Language Known as Esperanto by Maire Mullarney (Nitobe Press, £4.50)

Esperanto, the invented language that belongs to no country, has long had detractors and admirers. It dates from 1887, and since it is a language with no native speakers, homeland, or associated culture, people argue that it's sterile. Others see it as a method of international communication. Everyone's Own Language was first published a decade ago, and this reissue includes some new appendices. The book is part autobiography, part text-book. Maire Mullarney tells the story of Esperanto through her own experiences with it, and each chapter ends with a vocabulary. Appendices include a bibliography, a list of study aids and lists of Esperanto associations worldwide.