Book excerpt: Talk in interaction - Comparative dimensions is a collection of current conversation analytical work on interactional practices. How do speakers correct the errors made by other speakers? How is disappointment expressed in interaction? How are disputes constructed in different kinds of interaction? Do girls and boys construct play interaction in the same way? These are among the topics addressed in the volume. The central theme of the volume is comparative analysis of interactional practices. The authors analyse the specific phenomena through different kinds of comparative perspectives. Some of the studies analyse the different ways of construction a certain conversational action, some compare the realization of certain activities in different kinds of interactions (e.g. everyday vs. institutional interaction), and some explore the culture- and language-specific aspects of interaction. In addition, the articles address the issues of gender and the change in interactional practices over the time. Furthermore, the volume explores the possibilities and challenges of comparative analysis within conversation analysis in general.