- "The Languages of Australia: A Practical Introduction" (3 editions available: 1992, 1996, 2005)
- "Arguments That Count: The Art and Science of Reasoning Well" (2nd edition: 2014)
- "Language Across Cultures: A Guide to Communication in Diverse Settings" (1997)
- "Introducing English Semantics" (with Miriam A. Locher, 2005)
- "Readings in Syntax" (1991)
Books on History, Archaeology, and General Nonfiction:
- "From Dictaphone to Digital: A History of Sound Recording" (2007)
- "Archaeology: What It Is and Where It's Going" (with James Ross Holloway, 1997)
- "The Invention of Medicine: From the Stone Age to Today's Medical Marvels" (2014)
- "100 Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe" (1991)
- "100 Greatest Mysteries of All Time" (1996)