A couple of generations have passed, and some languages which were considered of secondary or tertiary importance now have their place in the sun, but still, few can downgrade Mario Pei's "The World's Chief Languages" as one of the best all-around guides for the practical language learner. One must, of course, take into account the fact that some of the languages described (Dutch, Bulgarian, etc.) have undergone spelling reform, or (in the case of German) switched their writing system from Gothic to Roman, and the new vocabulary of the past 60 years, but Dr. Pei's language guidebook is still invaluable.