A review of four books introducing the Minimalist Program
Although Minimalism is often referred to as a program, it is now sufficiently developed to be an indisputable part of the discussion in theoretical syntax and even the subject of introductory manuals. The four books reviewed in this article each reflect the place Minimalism now holds in linguistic theory. They can be divided into two groups, depending on the intended readership. Radford’s and Ouhalla’s volumes are introductions to theoretical syntax and can be read with no linguistic background. The two other books are much more technical and address more advanced readers. Each group can be further subdivided according to whether Minimalism is presented from an historical perspective or discussed ‘in its own right’.