Bakovic does something rare in this book. He takes a set of problems that occupied much attention at an earlier stage in the development of phonological theory, questions that were abandoned not because answers had been found but rather because phonologists’ attention had turned elsewhere. He explores the history and the logic of the issues involved, shows how (and why) they should be translated into contemporary frameworks, and thus revives discussion of some important issues in the field. There are more such veins to be mined, and this study shows how rewarding that effort can be.
Stephen R. Anderson, Dorothy R. Diebold Professor of Linguistics, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Yale University

Eric Bakovic’s new book provides a new look at the Elsewhere Condition. He is able to step back from the idiosyncrasies of the major phonological theories of recent years, and to encourage the reader to step back with him, and to rethink the puzzling character of many of the phenomena that have been offered as crucial cases for establishing one interpretation or another of the Elsewhere Condition. This is required reading for all concerned with the development of phonological theory.
John Goldsmith, Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago

The OT literature has often noted challenges for rule-based phonology, such as typological overgeneration and missed generalizations. This book contributes a different, novel criticism in a domain that should be surprising because the field has forgotten about the problem. This is an important book that any phonologist should find educational and thought-provoking.
Maria Gouskova, New York University