In this extremely interesting book (hereafter ELS), the authors present a resolutely inductive, empiricist framework for understanding language structure and function. [...] ELS is highly recommended for typologists and syntacticians. Formalists, functionalists, and typologists will all find much to disagree with, but in most cases it will be an educational experience. [...] The strength of ELS lie in its fundamental principles, and in the series of impressive analyses which serve to illustrate the application of these principles.

- Scott DeLancey, University of Oregon, in Functions of Language 14:2, 2007,

It is a pleasure to read a theoretical book where theory serves our understanding of languages rather than vice versa. The book challenges one to think about the basic architecture of language and recommends itself as stimulating and thought-provoking reading for typologists, descriptive linguists, and for anyone dealing with issues of morphological and syntactic theory.

- Matti Miestamo, University of Helsinki, in Studies in Language 30(3), 2006,