DOMINIC W. MASSARO, editor
University of California, Santa Cruz

Discourse on Discourse

Handbook of Discourse Processes
Edited by Arthur C. Graesser, Morton Ann Gernsbacher, and Susan R. Goldman. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2003. 550 pp. Cloth, $125.

What exactly constitutes discourse processing research often is misunderstood, so the publication of a handbook on the topic is certainly in order. The domain of official "handbook" typically is reserved for well-established fields. In the case of discourse processes, the publication of a handbook serves as a coming-out party. That is, a handbook for this field is as likely to inform readers about what the field is as it is to inform them about what it has produced. One can hope that this handbook will help clear up confusion for those who are still uncertain about what discourse processes are. And for those to whom the topic is familiar, this handbook will serve as a roadmap regarding where the field is going. Discourse processing research addresses a broad range of topics, and this overview gives just a flavor of them. Such breadth is what makes the field so dynamic and, perhaps, so misunderstood. Fortunately, this volume has been edited by three people (Art Graesser, Morton Ann Gernsbacher, and Susan Goldman) who, among a handful of others, are largely responsible for bringing the topic into the mainstream. For readers who are still unfamiliar with these researchers, the work they have done in editing this handbook will serve as a sound introduction.