How have influential thinkers throughout history shaped the conceptual foundations and political application of language policy? Florian Coulmas, a scholar of sociolinguistics, examines the contributions of twenty diverse intellectuals to demonstrate how language is not merely a tool for communication but a subject of deliberate management and ideological debate. By analyzing the work of figures from the medieval period to the modern era, the author constructs a framework for understanding the evolution of linguistic governance.

Experts recognize this work as a highly accessible entry point into the history of language policy and sociolinguistic thought. Readers frequently note that the inclusion of imaginary interviews provides a unique and engaging synthesis of complex theoretical positions for a general audience.