The volume presents seven papers by Bickerton, Sankoff, Schumann, Moag, Alleyne, Woolford and Washabaugh. The first five were originally presented as a series of lectures at the University of Michigan during 1978-79, a year-long seminar in which each successive speaker had the benefit of the texts of those who preceded him. The submissions of Woolford and Washabaugh were subsequently solicited and were intended to comment particularly on the papers of Dickerton and Sankoff.