Mandarin Chinese Phrase Book (Berlitz Phrase Book)
by Berlitz Publishing
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 1998)
list price: $8.95 -- our price: $8.95
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Reviews (6)

A poor choice - see Rough Guide
Berlitz made a poor choice by not including tones - they say it's too difficult for the beginner.Well, you can't speak a lick of Chinese without at least some tonal knowledge.Adding in tonal indicators would have made this book acceptable and would not distract anyone who chose to ignore them.As a result of Berlitz' poor choice, this book is also a poor choice for you.

Berlitz also chose to use their own tweaked pinyin system.This might actually be helpful for the beginner in pronounciation, since pinyin (the standard Romanization of Chinese) is a bit confusing at first.However, if you ever want to learn to read road signs (all in pinyin as well as characters) or use any other learning materials, you will have to learn the real thing anyway.

Fortunately,there is an excellent alternative - the Rough Guide.I looked at quite a few books, including Lonely Planet, and Rough Guide's is the best.It includes characters, pinyin, AND a helpful, more natural phoenetic spelling.Excellent for the beginner and casual learner - the target market for phrase books.

Get the "cassette pack with phrase book" instead
This phrasebook doesn't use pinyin or accents.This means no Chinese will understand you no matter how well you follow the book's pronunciation system.Mandarin relies on pronunciation more than anything else.If you enjoy the Berlitz series, then get the cassette+phrasebook pack instead (ISBN 2-8315-6270-8), so you'll hear basic Mandarin spoken.However, I've heard other audiocassettes packs are better.

If you want to visit China, GET THIS BOOK
You can't learn Chinese from a phrasebook.
This book is great because it has the Chinese characters in it.
It is well thought out and has color coded sections.
I found it great when I visited Shanghai, Hagzhou, and Qingdao.
If you don't speak the language you will love this book.It helps you get what you want done.Whether you want to order at a restaurant or find a hotel or get to the train station or many more, you will use it. ... Read more

Isbn: 2831562651
Sales Rank: 383551
Subjects:  1. Chinese    2. Chinese Language    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Language   

Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary
by Martin H. Manser Oxford
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1999)
list price: $15.95
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Reviews (29)

Better
I am learning Chinese at my school and this is a very helpful tool.This one is much better then the first and second oxford dictionaries I have bought.You will want to know how to use a basic chinese dictionary though. This is definetly one to start with.:)

Improvement over earlier Oxfords, but still not the best
I started out with the much smaller predecessor of this dictionary--Oxford Concise (ISBN 0195840488). This Oxford (ISBN 0195911512) is a marked improvement due to its larger size. But today I use the ABC Chinese Dictionary (ISBN 082482766X), which allows you to look up by the alphabetized listing of the complete Chinese word in pinyin, not the two-step head character-second character system used on Oxford Concise, and only use Oxford when I can't find what I want in ABC or can't read a character. Still, this is a solid choice for the beginner.

Excellent dictionary
If I can have only one affordable English/Chinese dictionary, this would be it.(It is far more better than the popular Chinese Characters:A Genealogy and Dictionary (ISBN 0966075005) although that particular dictionary is fairly good.)This dictionary is actually two way dictionaries:one half is English/Chinese and the other half is Chinese/English.Containing some 26,000 words and phrases, it is certainly not a dictionary for the scholar, but a student of Chinese will find it very useful.Although the book emphasizes simplified characters, traditional characters are provided and a student using the traditional characters would be fine with this dictionary.

The real drawback to this dictionary, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that, as other reviewers have mentioned, it does NOT provide the Pinyin for its example phrases/sentences; thus if the reader does not know a certain character s/he will have to find it by using the radically index or go the English/Chinese portion and find the word there (English traditions of the example phrases/sentences are provided).Also try the Xinhua Zidian (ISBN 7801031989), which is another excellent Chinese/English dictionary. ... Read more

Isbn: 0195911512
Sales Rank: 10866
Subjects:  1. Chinese    2. Chinese language    3. Dictionaries    4. Dictionaries - General    5. English    6. English language    7. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    8. Foreign Language Study    9. Language    10. Polyglot Dictionaries   

Lonely Planet China (Lonely Planet China)
by Damian, Harper Marie Cambon Katja Gaskell Thomas Huhti Bradley Mayhew Korina Miller Mielikki Org
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 August, 2002)
list price: $29.99
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Editorial Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach.While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

Just as the authors describe China as "massive and endlessly fascinating," so is the material they have collected in this guide--an important travelers' opus. The 200-plus maps feature keys in English and Chinese script and there are essential details on transport options, a 12-page Chinese arts section, and a useful feature on the Chinese language.--Kathryn True ... Read more

Reviews (53)

A good review of LP.
I arrived home from China 2 weeks ago after being there for 2 weeks. I visited the most amazing places, and yes, I took the most recent LP with me. Alot of reviewers here have stated the lack of important information in this publication, however, I found this book to be valuble on my journey. China is a tough place to travel, English isnt spoken in most places and the general public (outside of those who deal with tourists often) are not a particularly friendly bunch to westerners. In reading this guide, you must take into account that it ISNT a tour guide, it is simply a reference to sites and popular places. I found the Chinese text to be very helpful when using taxi's. China is an ever changing place, and if you have ever been there, you will know how vast it really is. A mecca of laneways and confusing streets. LP was an invaluble read for me and I would recommend this guide for those who are imbarking on thier first trip to this wonderful place.
As a well travelled person, I have used LP many times in different places, I think some people forget to step outside the book and just find things on their own will...

Consider National Geographic Traveler
I received a copy of the Lonely Planet China as a gift.I am neutral about the book.Good general information.However...China is so dynamic and changing...it doesn't ring true in many cases.

I would suggest the National Geographic Traveler China guide.It is very well balanced...gives excellent background...so the traveler can interpret and experience the wonders of China through high quality text, pictures and maps.

I would still suggest the Lonely Planet guide for those that have not travelled much...and a starting point.But those that have past international travel experience will find it much too basic and generic.Nat'l Geographic will provide a comprehensive pretrip planning guide so you can best tailor your trip and will enhance your experience while visting.

Another factoid side note.The author of National Geographic Traveler China (Damian Harper) co-authored several guides of China, Beijing, and Hong Kong for Lonely Planet.To validate...click the D. Harper's name near the book title above.Same author...but with the quality of National Geographic.

Beware the book
To echo the words of other readers, this is disappointing and out of date.

On the second point, bear in mind that many prices have increased (sometimes more than doubled) since this book was published.

On the first, try to ignore almost every recommendation on accomodation and food that the guidebook makes.In many locations the majority of listed restaurants are Western and those that are Chinese are poor quality, high priced and seem to be recommended only for having an English menu.Go somewhere else, point, go for pot-luck or learn a little Chinese before you go and you'll enjoy everything much more. ... Read more

Isbn: 1740591178
Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. Guidebooks    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign   

Basic Chinese Vocabulary
by JeromeHu
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (11 January, 1992)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Reviews (1)

The Wrong Book for Learning Chinese Vocabulary
I thought this book was okay at first, but then I started to really use it and realized that it's insufficient for learning Chinese vocabulary. It's pretty much just a categorized list of words in Mandarin Chinese with English translations. This was the kind of book I was looking for, but unfortunately it failed to meet my expectations for the following reasons:

1.) NO CHINESE CHARACTERS ARE INCLUDED IN THE MAIN BODY OF THIS BOOK
The claim on the back cover is deceptive. Characters only appear in the English-Chinese section of the glossary. This means that when you see a word in this book, you need to flip to the glossary in the back to see the characters. Even worse, you need to look up the word by it's English translation. This is very awkward.

2.) OUT-OF-DATE VOCABULARY
The vocabulary list was compiled before the advent of the compact disc, and well before computers and the internet were in common use.

3.) NO EXAMPLES
Each Chinese word is translated into English. The translation is usually a single word; there is no explanation of usage or sample sentences. Many of the translations are ambiguous, especially since the English used is British English, not American English. In many cases, I would have assumed a different meaning if I hadn't already known the Chinese word.

4.) POOR CHOICE OF WORDS
For some reason, the compilers decided to include several items of specialized vocabulary that you'll never use. These words are included at the expense of several basic words, which were left out. They should have included only the most frequently occurring words. You could learn all 3000 or so words in this book and you'd still find really basic structural words that you haven't learned yet.

5.) BETTER CHOICES EXIST
There are two excellent resources that I'd highly recommend for vocabulary. The first, Chinese Vocabulary Cards (ISBN: 1556370873) by Vis-Ed, is a set of 1000 flashcards containing the most basic 2500 words. The words in this deck are very well selected, and examples are provided for each entry. It's suitable for anyone at the beginner or intermediate level. The second resource that I'd recommend is Schaum's Outline of Chinese Vocabulary (ISBN: 0071378359). This book assumes a knowledge of 500 - 1000 words, which it uses to teach new words in context. It's suitable for an intermediate or advanced student. These two resources, when combined, will give you everything you need to develop an effective vocabulary. ... Read more

Isbn: 0844285277
Sales Rank: 786359
Subjects:  1. Chinese    2. Chinese Language    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Language    5. Vocabulary    6. Foreign Language Study / Chinese   

Teach Yourself Beginner's Chinese Audiopackage (Teach Yourself Beginner's Language Series)
by LizScurfield SongLianyi
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (20 November, 2002)
list price: $22.95
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Reviews (5)

Great for Newbies
Good teaching for early beginners of the language. Well-organized & easy to learn.

Great book to begin with!
I'm only about halfway (okay, not that far, even) through the book, and I've learned a lot.I've even had a couple of very short conversations with people in Chinese, and they've told me that I speak very well, so the book certainly does its job.The tapes are indispensible.

The book covers pronunciation and the different tones very well.I've got a lot left to read, but I'm very, very happy with the course over all!I WOULDN'T buy it, though, as a new, updated version is coming out in the U.S. in January, I believe.For more information on that, go to:

http://www.teachyourself.co.uk

Important!
I'm currently studying from this book, and it has been very helpful, and very thourough.However, I had a Mandarin speaking (yes, he's Chinese), friend of mine look at the book.He laughed.Most of the information is correct, but the usage of Ni and Nin (you informal and "formal") is very incorrect.My friend informed me that he has only using Nin once or twice with his parents, and only to suck up.Instead of being more formal, nin is more intimite.He showed me the difference in characters, and the only difference between the two is that nin has the symbol for the heart underneath!There are gross missuses of the word within the book, as in between a student and a teacher.My friend couldn't stop laughing!But other than that, the book is accurate... ... Read more

Isbn: 0071407375
Sales Rank: 508453
Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction    2. Chinese    3. Chinese language    4. Conversation and phrase books    5. English    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Language    8. Self-instruction    9. Textbooks for foreign speakers    10. Foreign Language Study / Chinese   

Learn Chinese Now! 9.0
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (04 April, 2002)
list price: $49.95
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Editorial Review

With the modern PC having a variety of possibilities of which traditional language-learning methods could only dream--voice recognition, video dialogues, and so on--the past few years have seen an extraordinary boom in language-learning software packages. However, as picking through this surfeit can be tricky, it is important to find a reliable brand, and the Learn Now! series is definitely among the best software packages.

The program comes equipped with 2 CDs, one of which has various key sections--useful "survival phrases", fun activities, conversations, and practicing speech against the voice of a native speaker--while the other has a thorough grammar tutorial. This combination is certainly a valuable one for people who are serious about learning a language, and the product is clear and easy to use: in role-plays, phrases are highlighted in a box and their English translations placed underneath, while the voice recognition software allows you to measure your own voice against that of a native speaker, and the games hone the things that have been learnt. Sections are tailored to various activities, such as getting around, going out, and business situations, while at any point you can call up a grammar tutorial which explains a particular point on which you are unsure.

In addition to these sections, the part on survival phrases will be of much use to those who have already reached a basic level. There are several practice dialogues based around commonplace situations--in the hotel, the bar, the airport, etc. Although some of the advice borders on the infantile ("When you decide to travel outside the USA, you will probably need a passport"), much of it is useful, and rounds out what is a well composed package for someone starting out on the road to using the language overseas. --Toby Green, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Features

Reviews (124)

LanguageNot!
This software isn't very good unless your going to actually sit down and memorize hundreds of phrases. No sentance structure is given so, unless you have a book on Japanese grammer, you wont actually know how to change one of the sentances to better suit a situation you might be in.

Also, this software didn't go into the Japanese writing systems (Kanji, Katakana and Hiragana) except in a chart of the kana sounds and a few signs that you'll see around Japan. Other than that, the whole things was written in Romanji. You can learn to talk from this but then you'll have to go and learn all over again if you ever want to actually write or read any Japanese.

The additional features are ok, though not the best. This also comes with a Bonuc CD which had GrammerPro! and Unitype Global Writer. Unitype Global Write is, in my opinion, a great idea. But, sadly, it constantly has problems and needs to be re-loaded to the computer. (Which it never wants to do because the CD doesn't, and never did, work quite properly.

So, before you resort to buying this CD, I suggest you look around for some other software or a good book. If you do resort to buying this CD, try to find it on eBay or somewhere cheaper, as it isn't worth my fifty bucks.

Immersion Arabic!
I just received this item in the mail recently and already
I'm impressed. However, I would like to offer a couple of
warnings to beginner Arabic learners:

1. First, do NOT buy this AND the "LINGUAPHONE Arabic
InAction V2" CD-ROM because they are the same product.
The only difference between the two is that "Learn Arabic
Now" has two additional catagories/lessons a few more
games, and 5,000 additional Arabic words that can be
learned. "Linguaphone V2" seems to be the condensed/
abridged version of "Learn Arabic Now" because the
graphics and program set-up are identical.

2. Purchase Nicholas Awde's "THE ARABIC ALPHABET - How to
Read & Write It" and study it before engaging in this
program. Though good, "Learn Arabic Now" does not
give lessons on Arabic script and stroke order. The
alphabet is briefly explained in a pop-up, but this
is a general overview that only someone who has studied
the Arabic alphabet would be able to relate to.

3. Also, don't be intimidated by the program. It is
constructed to give an "instant immersion" effect. This
is good, but I find it most effective to spend one week
on 1 or 2 sentences of new Arabic vocabulary before
moving on to new lessons.

4. Finally, if I was not already listening to Pimsleur's
"Instant Conversion" CDs (the one on the Barnes & Noble
site has 10 CDs, unlike Amazon's version which just has
8), I would be totally overwhelmed by "Learn Arabic Now".
However, since "Instant Conversation" has already prepped
me, almost everything in "Learn Arabic Now" is a
reinforcement of previously learned vocubalary.

Alphabet problems
Overall, considering myself a beginner-intermediate level speaker, this program lends itself to learning Polish at a good pace. However, I'm experiencing software glitches with the Alphabet section. When clicking on some of the letters, it seems to hiccup and not translate right away. Some letters it works normal, but others it's frustrating. If it worked properly, this software would have received a 4-star. ... Read more

Asin: B00005Y3VF
Subjects:  1. Mac Macintosh Machintosh Apple    2. Computer software (programs)    3. Education (Educational)    4. Reference    5. Foreign Languages (Language)    6. Asian    7. Learn learning   

Reader's Digest Large Print
Average Customer Review:
Magazine
list price: $29.98 -- our price: $29.96
(price subject to change: see help)
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• Magazine Subscription

Reviews (7)

good content, bad company
Readers digest really has alot of great topics, i've had it for two years now, but if you plan to enjoy them, also plan on 'enjoying' countless offers for products, requests for subscriptions long before they are needed, extra mailings constantly, and quite alot of confusion in the process if you don't really read what they are asking. I recent got a 'final bill' along with an explination of how they had earlier sent me a request to 'do nothing' if i wanted to continue with my subscription. However I had no recollection of getting this request.

but other than this, the magazine offers a good variety of humour, articles, and snippets of the interesting things out there for everyone.

Great Memories...Great Format!
This book has been around so long that most people over 50 consider it to be a "fond memory."And, when your eyesight takes a downward spiral (as it does for all of us), it's nice to know that an old favorite such as this can adapt to fit our needs.

FOR THE VISUALLY CHALLENGED...
This magazine is a compilation of articles and stories from other magazines. They run the gamut from science, medical, adventure, business, sports, you name it. It seems to focus somewhat on the inspirational and motivational. It also has numerous features that are sure to jar the reader's funny bone and are derived from the contributions of its readers. All in all, it is a nice little package of information and features that is sure to be read from cover to cover. It is a very mainstream magazine designed to have broad appeal and, consequently, is not intellectually demanding of its reader.

Its large print enables those who are visually challenged to enjoy it. The only caveat is that this large print version is the size of a regular magazine rather than pocket-sized, as is the smaller print version. Still, this large print version enables those who had previously enjoyed the pocket version but who now, perhaps due to age, find its small print difficult to read, to continue to enjoy the magazine. ... Read more

Asin: B000063XKE
Sales Rank: 337
Subjects:  1. Family & Parenting    2. News & Politics