This book discusses concepts that other modern phonology books often ignore, and presents them in a different and interesting theoretical light and is very accessible to beginning students. The author employs numerous metaphors and comparisons that make reading comprehensible, graphic and enjoyable.

- José A. Mompeán, Universidad de Murcia,

This is an introduction to phonology with a difference-first, theories and concepts are embedded in a broad narrative of how the study of the speech has developed over the past hundred years, and secondly, the book strives towards a cognitively realistic view of phonology.

- John R. Taylor, University of Otago,

This book can be recommended to anyone who needs to know about phonology but has no need to embrace a particular theory: students are introduced to phonological principles without being burdened with elaborate formalism. [...] I would regard Nathan's book as ideal for students of foreign language teaching or for prospective speech and language therapists (for use with other sources of disordered phonology).

- Linda Shockey, in the Journal of the International Phonetic Association, Vol. 40/2 (2010),