Phrasebooks - General Books

501 Spanish Verbs: with CD-ROM (Barron's Foreign Language Guides)

Christopher Kendris, Theodore Kendris

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron's Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 92 new & used starting at $9.90

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Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> Foreign Language -> Spanish
Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> General
Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 235 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Barron’s is today and always has been the Number-One reference source for verb usage in virtually every major language. With more than 1.5 million copies in print, the all-time best selling 501 Spanish Verbs beats all less well-established rivals with its brand-new 6th edition. It’s printed in two colors, it features tinted page edges for ease of reference, and it comes with extra help for Spanish language students in the form of a CD-ROM. The book presents the most important and most commonly used Spanish verbs arranged alphabetically with English translations in chart form, one verb per page, and conjugated in all persons and tenses, both active and passive. The accompanying CD-ROM gives students practice exercises in verb conjugation plus a concise grammar review. This combined book and software package is a comprehensive guide to Spanish verb usage with a wealth of reference material and language tips, including a bilingual list of more than 1,250 additional Spanish verbs, helpful expressions and idioms for travelers, and verb drills and short tests with all questions answered and explained.

Painless Grammar (Painless Series)

Rebecca Elliott Ph.D.

Amazon Price: $8.99 List Price: $8.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron's Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 62 new & used starting at $3.80

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Reference & Nonfiction -> Language Arts -> Grammar
Subjects -> Children's Books -> General AAS
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Phrasebooks - General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

To help prevent the dumbing down of America 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book's title jumped out at me at my local bookstore. I had to have it for myself, but mostly to see IF this was a book I could recommend to others.

Now I know: Every household, office and student should have this book--if you want to write correctly, with confidence.

Written for middle grade and high school age, the book is designed "so grammar doesn't hurt," -no matter your age.

Painless Grammar covers:

- Parts of speech.
- Building and punctuating sentences.
- Agreement (between subject and verb; between pronoun and antecedent).
- Words: Misused, one word or two and confusing pairs.
- Editing.
- Email guidelines.

So, do you ever find yourself at home or at work wondering whether "its" or "it's," is correct, or how to use " and ` -or whatever your "grammar challenge is? The down-to-earth examples make Painless Grammar fun and a learnable moment for any age.

As an editor, I find frequent misuse of certain words, commas and semi-colons, plus run-on sentences--many things we learned in middle or high school, but forgot or need a refresher. Read a few pages a day, or use it as a resource when you aren't sure. However, I have found that many people "think" they remember the rule, but don't-so keep this book handy.

I recommend you buy several copies for your kids, home office or work. The clarity of the examples are complemented (yes, it is an "e") by the ease of finding answers.

Armchair Interviews says: Almost everyone can use this useful resource.

Editorial Review:

This very approachable text combines instruction in parts of speech and sentence structure with down-to-earth examples, funny illustrations, and examination of some of the more amusing and peculiar words in the English language. A chapter on clear e-mail communication and etiquette is brand new in this edition, as are many of the author’s challenging “Brain Ticklers.” Her helpful chapter on how to edit a school paper has also been heavily revised and updated.

Barron’s popular Painless Series of study guides for middle school and high school students offer a lighthearted, often humorous approach to their subjects, transforming details that might once have seemed boring or difficult into a series of interesting and mentally challenging ideas. Most titles in the series feature many fun-to-solve “Brain Tickler” problems with answers at the end of each chapter.

501 French Verbs: with CD-ROM (Barron's Foreign Language Guides)

Christopher Kendris Ph.D., Theodore Kendris Ph.D.

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron's Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 80 new & used starting at $5.51

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Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> Foreign Language -> French
Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> General
Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Barron’s is today and always has been the Number-One reference source for verb usage in virtually every major language. Leading all competition, the best selling 501 French Verbs beats all less well-established rivals with its brand-new 6th edition. It’s printed in two colors, it features tinted page edges for ease of reference, and it comes with extra help for French language students in the form of a CD-ROM. The book presents the most important and most commonly used French verbs arranged alphabetically with English translations in chart form, one verb per page, and conjugated in all persons and tenses, both active and passive. The accompanying CD-ROM gives students practice exercises in verb conjugation plus a concise grammar review. This combined book and software package is a comprehensive guide to French verb usage with a wealth of reference material and language tips, including a bilingual list of more than 1,250 additional French verbs, helpful expressions and idioms for travelers, and verb drills and short tests with all questions answered and explained.

Rick Steves' French Phrase Book and Dictionary (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $6.51

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Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> French
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Phrasebooks - General
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Little Book That Helped A Lot!! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great book! Highly recommended. Easy to use, easy to find the topics you need when you need them. The phonetic words are easy to understand, and are spot on with the real corresponding word (with some other phrase books I have tried, the phonetics were not quite right). There are phrases for real situations, even some funny situations, covering everything from being pulled over by police in your rental car to dealing with pushy street venders (which are abundant in Paris! - which came in handy for us when at the Louvre!). There is a menu and food decoder which we referred to quite a bit so as to know what we were ordering to eat. With this book, we were able to communicate easily everywhere we went: the metro, the train station, eateries, museums, grocery store, and even in the countryside where hardly anyone speaks English.

My Spouse and I were in France last month and I had purchased this book weeks ahead of time and began reviewing the phrases inside. By the time we got to France, we both had learned enough to communicate nicely with the people. In Paris, there are a great many people that speak English, or at least understand it a bit, but it's still nice to be able to say something to them in French even if it's just a greeting. But we stayed in the countryside where English is rare, but we got on just fine at the grocery store, the villages, and the cafes with this little book in hand. The easy to use words and phrases are great in a pinch, but as a helpful tip: Don't just buy the book and wait to use it until your there standing at a ticket booth trying to figure what to say - familiarize yourself with the key phrases that are important to you, and where they are located in the book before you even get on the plane.

Editorial Review:

Bonjour! From ordering a cafe au lait in Paris to making new friends in the Loire Valley, it helps to speak some of the native tongue. Rick Steves, bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and key words to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling; an English-French and French-English dictionary; the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Louvre. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves' French Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler's sac a dos.

Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 4 new & used starting at $7.16

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Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Dictionaries; Polyglot
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Italian
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Phrasebooks - General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Useful and amusing 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Rick Stevens has written a book with all kinds of useful phrases and lots you may never need but will laugh at while reading.

Steves' fundamental phrases 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The hard to find words in the Italian vocabulary are presented here...there is something for everyone. If you are cussing out an Italian driver--ordering a meal--visiting a museum--or asking for directions--Steves provides phrases and words for you!

Editorial Review:

Buon giorno! From ordering calamari in Venice to making new friends in Tuscan hill towns, it helps to speak some of the native tongue. Rick Steves, bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and key words to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling; an English-Italian and Italian-English dictionary; the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Sistine Chapel. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler's zainetto.

The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It

Nicholas Awde, Putros Samano

Amazon Price: $8.76 List Price: $10.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lyle Stuart Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $4.18

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Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> Foreign Language -> Arabic
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> African
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Arabic

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 86 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Arabic Alphabet not so basic 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Awde and Samano's The Arabic Alphabet is a very good introduction to a complex language. I enjoyed the initial section, but became quickly discouraged with the language. This is not the fault of the authors. I think they succeeded in putting together a slim and accesible book. I hope to pick it up again soon.

Editorial Review:

Ever greater numbers of people are learning Arabic and/or coming into some kind of contact with the Arab world. Anyone who wishes to learn the language faces a hitherto formidable initial challenge: the alphabet.

This book proceeds, step by step, through all the letters of the Arabic alphabet, showing the sounds they stand for and how they are combined into words. Nothing essential is left out, and no unnecessary complications added. Readers will make rapid progress and will be surprised at the relative ease with which they master the first steps towards command of this increasingly important world language.

The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read and Write It belongs on the desk of every student of the language; in the luggage of every visitor to the Middle East; in the briefcase of business people with Arab clients; and in the back pocket of every employee of British or American companies working in Arab countries.

Essential German Grammar (Teach Yourself)

Guy Stern, Everett F. Bleiler

By: Teach Yourself Books Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $1.79

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Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Phrasebooks - General
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> General AAS
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good Stuff 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book has helped me understand a lot of the intricacies of the German language. Based on that I would say it is a very worthy purchase for one to have. But, it is not a book written for those who are not fluent on grammatical technical terms. I found myself a little lost at times, when the author would very non-challantly explain that something was just a matter of the "subjunctive predicative to the second power of the reversed megablaster future tense"...I know, I'm just joking, but I'm sure some of the readers understand what I mean.
Having said that, I still say it is a good book for students of German such as myself. You'll just have to dust off your grammar lingo, that's all!

Editorial Review:

This logical, developmental presentation of the major aspects of German grammar includes all the necessary tools for speech and comprehension. Designed for adults with limited learning time who wish to acquire the basics of everyday German, this grammar features numerous shortcuts and timesavers. Ideal as an introduction, supplement, or refresher.

French in Action: A Beginning Course in language and Culture, Second Edition: Workbook, Part 1 (Yale Language Series)

Pierre Capretz, Beatrice Abetti, Thomas Abbate, Frank Abetti

Amazon Price: $28.80 List Price: $32.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Yale University Press Amazon Marketplace: 64 new & used starting at $4.45

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Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> French
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Phrasebooks - General
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

I don't believe the so-called "immersion" method 1 out of 5 stars.
6 of 39 people found this review helpful.

An adult needs all the help his mature abilities can bring, including the language he knows to mirror and bridge the language he is learning. The "French only" method seems to me almost idiotic. It didn't work for me and I know I am not alone. I love French and have kept my eyes on all the self-study French courses available in the States.

Besides, French may not change much but the video is around 20 year old.

Language Dunce - even have trouble with English 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I went through the 52 PBS programs first, then went through them again making notes, then I bought the book.

This immersion method I believe is like a child learning their own language for the first time - you watch and over time figure out what people are saying - you do not begin taking courses for 5 years.

If I had, had to take a typical language course to learn my native English - I believe I would never have learned.

The book is the immersion method in writting [and also in French]. You can go back and forth between the book and the 52 programs and everything is in French. You pick a word here and a phrase there and then start putting a few togeather. You learn the situations also.

For a person like me who fails every language course - this has been fun. It makes me want to go through the chapters and tapes over and over again.

So if you think of this method as a way to pick up French as a child would - a word here and a phrase there and a spark to continue to learn - it can be a lot of fun.

So far I recommend the 52 PBS programs and this Book.

The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers & Rogues

George Choundas

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Writers Digest Books Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $9.08

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Any writer involved in pirate representation needs thorough knowledge of the lingo 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

THE PIRATE PRIMER: MASTERING THE LANGUAGE OF SWASHBUCKLERS AND ROGUES represents the only general reference to examine the language of pirates, offering up a pirate vocabulary complete with pronunciation and grammar. Three centuries of distinctive terms and usages from TV, literature and history blend into entries organized by 'oaths', 'commands', 'retorts' and more. Any writer involved in pirate representation needs thorough knowledge of the lingo, making THE PIRATE PRIMER a pick for any writer's library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Editorial Review:

"The Pirate Primer" is the first and only book on the pirate language. It explores in a definitive way the unique vernacular of English-speaking pirates covering vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and syntax. It is an authoritative work on the subject, containing and explicating every distinctive term, phrase, usage, and speech structure uttered by or attributed to pirates in film, television, literature, and historical accounts over the last three centuries. Every entry in the Primer is accompanied by an illustrative historical example of pirate speech or dialogue. Thus, the user sees the content of the Primer deployed in actual context by actual pirates!

The Everything Learning German Book: Speak, Write and Understand Basic German in No Time (Everything Series)

Edward Swick

Amazon Price: $13.45 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Adams Media Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $7.90

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Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Foreign Language Fiction -> General AAS
Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> Foreign Language -> German
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> German

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Valuable Tool 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

As someone who just recently started taking German classes, this book has been proven to be an invaluable resource. The author writes in a friendly, easy-to-understand manner, and the book is well-organized. I especially found the pronunciation guide to be one of the better ones I've come across.

Editorial Review:

The Everything "RM" Learning German Book effectively teaches the German language through easy-to-understand instruction, practical exercises, and cultural information, making it both fun and easy. Readers learn pronunciation, parts of speech, and basic vocabulary and usage that can benefit students, travelers, restaurantgoers -- and anyone seeking to learn a language upon which English is heavily based. This practical book teaches how to: -- Understand verbal etiquette -- Order in a restaurant -- Pronounce German words properly -- Ask directions -- Communicate efficiently when traveling -- Use different verb tenses Supplemented by both English-to-German and German-to-English dictionaries, The Everything "RM" Learning German Book is the perfect way to learn -- or relearn -- the language.