Linguistics by H. G. Widdowson
The Linguistics is probably the best choice to get acquainted with the series. The author and co-publisher of the whole series covers modern problems of linguistics, the history of the science, introduces basic terminology and ideas.
The first chapter starts with two fundamental questions of linguistics: "What is human language?" and “What is it that defines linguistics as a discipline?
Although science cannot answer these questions clearly, the author offers his own reasoning on the topic. Widdowson removes the possibility of a single interpretation, comparing the language model with geographic maps that can show in details only part of the complete picture of the world.
The author sees "the providing of models of language which reveals features that are not immediately apparent" as the main goal of linguistics. It is of great significance for him to depict not just a superficial picture, but profound schemes.
The author dives into the subtleties of linguistics, describing the levels of linguistic analysis and their principles, talking about the meaning of words, focusing on each of the components of the science: phonetics, morphology, grammar.
In the last chapter of the theoretical part of the book, Widdowson gives the details about the existing branches of linguistics and the main problems that concern modern linguists, as if inviting his reader to further self-study. The practical part provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the theories of eminent professors and scientists, to look through the ideas of Noam Chomski, Ferdinand de Saussure, David Crystal, and to try to make your personal opinion on different issues of linguistics.
The book will create a desire to get deeper into the study of the language, and the next editions of the series would be a perfect solution to do so.