This book examines how we refer to other people in everyday conversation, across different languages and cultures.

1. Person reference in interaction Tanya Stivers, N. J. Enfield and Stephen C. Levinson; Part I. Person Reference as a System: 2. Two preferences in the organization of reference to persons in conversation and their interaction (1979) Harvey Sacks and Emanuel A. Schegloff; 3. Optimizing person reference - evidence from repair on Rossel Island Stephen C. Levinson; 4. Alternative recognitionals in person reference Tanya Stivers; 5. Meanings of the unmarked: why 'default' person reference does more than just refer N. J. Enfield; Part II. The Person Reference System in Operation: 6. Conveying who you are: the presentation of self, strictly speaking Emanuel A. Schegloff; 7. Person reference in Yucatec Maya William F. Hanks; 8. Principles of person reference in Tzeltal Penelope Brown; 9. Non-initial person reference in Korean: choosing between quasi-pronouns Sun-Young Oh; 10. Person reference in Tzotzil gossip: referring dupliciter John B. Haviland; Part III. The Person Reference System in Trouble: 11. Intersubjectivity and progressivity in person (and place) reference John Heritage; 12. Repairing person reference in a small Caribbean community Jack Sidnell; 13. Reference and 'reference dangereuse' to persons in Kilivila: an overview and case study Gunter Senft.