I Books

This is a wonderful book...I just love reading it right up to the last (whispered) line to my little one.

We were given the board book edition though...I sure wish we had got this edition as the Hare looks adorable.

30 May 2005
Reflecting on this review after more than a year, I can say that my "little jumper" isn't as keen on it as he was then...maybe in a few more months he'll start liking it again. I think he finds it a bit dull right now.

This book is excellent...My 7 year old daughter recieved the book for her 3rd birthday and we still read it to this day. She absolutely loves it. It brings forth alot of emotion and still brings tears to my eyes every time we read it. I highly recommend purchasing this book for any new mommy and it makes a great shower gift too.

Guess How Much I Love You is a superb book, and an ideal keepsake for babies. I especially like the fact that Big Nutbrown Hare is quite sexless, and could represent the love of a mother or father. The toy that accompanies the book is a perfect shape, with plenty of sticky out bits for tiny hands to hold, my baby daughter thinks the world of hers. This makes a great Christening gift, or even something a bit soppy for a romantic partner (maybe a pregnant wife!).

Very rarely do the words of a story and the illustrations come together as perfectly as they do in this book. The illustrations by Jeram are timeless masterpieces that would look beautiful framed on your wall. I'm convinced her work will be regarded as lovingly in the future as we regard Beatrix Potter today. The story is also wonderfully told. There are not many words to this story so it is perfect for the younger set. The story perfectly captures the bond between parent and child. The game that they play is sweet and any parent can relate to it. Throughout the story, parent and child find new, inventive ways to express their love for each other. It is the perfect book for any parent who often find themselves looking at their child searching for the perfect words to convey their love.

This is the coolest book of this genre since "Hop on Pop". It has affected me and my entire life in more ways than any "review" could possibly try to achieve. If you have children, and you are one of the FEW parents that STILL read to them: PLEASE GET THIS BOOK! The world will be a better place because of it.
Thank You! so much Sam and Anita!!!

T.N.
Seattle, WA

"The Hidden Words" were penned by Baha'u'llah in the early years of His Ministry. These wonderful gem-like verses condense the experience of Divine Revelation to its spiritual essence. Few people are unaffected by the clarity and beauty of this small book.

Of "The Hidden Words", Baha'u'llah said:
"This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity."

It has been said that "The Hidden Words" is a love-song, a romance of the age-old Love of God for Man. Full of short verses, an underlying theme is the Divine Being's faithfulness and the inevitable unfaithfulness of His Creation, Man. "The Hidden Words" tells of a Beloved Who separates Himself from His creatures so that "spirit" may be breathed into those same creatures in mutually desired Reunion.

Due to its brevity, "The Hidden Words" is a take-everywhere volume of slim proportion and vast resource both within the Baha'i Community and the greater community of believers. Highly recommended to those of contemplative bent.

The words of the Hidden Words contain life's purpose, goals, and meaning. Each read brings new understanding. Wonderful!The Hidden Words

I have had a long curiosity about the Baha'i Faith and its teachings of the universal nature of religion, the unity of human beings, and the imperative of tolerating and respecting beliefs different from one's own. I have always been intrigued by how these teachings of universalism and the essential unity of all religions can fit within the confines of an individual, independent religion, the Baha'i Faith, with its own teachings and texts. Thus, I was pleased to have the opportunity to read this short book "The Hidden Words of Bahaullah" composed by the founder of the Baha'i Faith, Baha'u'llah (1817 -- 1892) while in prison. The book was written in part in Arabic and in part in Persian and was translated by Baha'u'llah's disciple, Shogi Effendi. This book was my first experience with Baha'i scripture.

"The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah" consists of about 153 short paragraphs in two parts. It is cast in the form of short revelations to Bahaullah each of which is prefaced by a short exortation such as "To the Son of Man" characterizing the person or persons to whom the revelation is addressed. There is a brief introductory paragraph to the collection, indicating that the aim of the text is to distill, in short form, teachings that are universal to the spiritual life. This goal of the collection is reflected in some of the comments on this site. These teachings have, and were intended to have, many parallels in the teachings of the other great world religions.

The teachings speak of the need for a pure heart, of the need of detachment from everyday life, and of the importance of not envying,critcizing or condemning others. I was struck by the other-worldiness of many of the teachings, as they exhort the follower to turn away from materialism and desire and turn one's attention and heart to the divine. To me, some of the teachings seem directed to mankind, while others, if I am not mistaken, appear primarily directed towards Baha'u'llah himself. In this latter regard, there are several of the teachings which speak of the value of imprisonment, suffering and martyrdom as they advance the cause of God. These teachings seem to be directed to the founder of the faith or to those in danger of persecution on account of their beliefs. While most of the short sayings are readily intelligible to readers of many backgrounds, some sections, particularly near the end of the book, allude to figures that have some specific meaning for the Baha'i faith.

This book is known within the Baha'i community but will appeal to those who have an interest in exploring a variety of spiritual traditions. I am in this latter group. It is an inspiring text. The work here is presented without an introduction, notes, or commentary. Thus, I was unable to learn the place of this specific text within the Baha'i teachings as a whole. An introduction to the book with an overview of the Baha'i Faith and of how this book fits within it would have been invaluable. Also, notes in the way of a commentary on the organization and substance of the text would have been helpful. There is always a great deal more to understanding a short spiritual work than reading the words of the text. Context and discussion would be useful.

This is an important religious text, and it is good to have it widely accessible. It will appeal to those readers interested in the Baha'i Faith, to those interested in comparative religion, and to those interested in spiritual growth.

Robin Friedman

Bahaullah wrote these short verses of wisdom at a time of great need for spiritual understanding for all mankind. They are inspiring and universal remedys for all beliefs. The best gift you could give yourself or a friend.

Everyone should read this book at least twice.

While as comprehensive and extraordinarily detailed as a college text, and as fully annotated, this is a great example of a 'popular' history at the top of its game. The enormous amount of (often grueling) material is nicely organized across time, place, and category, the many significant characters are well-delineated, and there is a sense of narrative flow and pretty steady momentum to this highly readable book.

This is a excellent, outstanding and informative book, that every patriotic american should read. These men are real American Heroes, I needn"t say more.

Definitely one of the best books I every read. It's amazing what a man will do for honor, to protect the life and dignity of another, at his own peril. There are scores of examples of this in this book. On the down side, what men bent on tyranny and oppression will do to break the will of another. However, light truly shines through darkness. If you think you have it rough, read this book.

This is a lengthy but well written book. If you are looking for an excellent history of the POW's from the Vietnam war, this is the one to get. If you are interested in history or the human aspects of the Vietnam POW's this would be very valuable. I have read a number of books on POW's and this is by far the best of the lot.

This observer has followed the POW situation since 1972, when he was still on active duty. He is familiar with many POW memoirs, so the men in Messer's. Kiley and Rochester's voluminous work are no strangers. Most of the prominent POWs are well known to many and they are certainly all here: Ernest Brace, Robinson Risner, James Stockdale, Jeremiah Denton, Frank Anton and Everett Alvarez-plus many more. If this reviewer had to choose a favorite memoir, it would be Anton's "Why Didn't You Get Me Out?" Honorable mention certainly goes to "A Code to Keep" by Mr. Brace. HB goes into far deeper detail than do individual stories, yet necessarily lacks the personal touch folks like those two gentlemen provide. Those in the amazon community who have read no POW tales and are satisfied with one big picture have the perfect book in HB. The back cover noted that HB "combines rigorous scholarly analysis with moving narrative". That it certainly does, in fullest detail. All the torture, all the mind games, all the coming and going and transfers, all the gripping boredom and fear, all the gruesome details of prison life are here. It will be clear that the POWs were anything but one big happy family. Disagreements abounded, especially that nebulous subject regarding compliance with the Code of Conduct. Some favored active resistance, some a "cooperate-graduate" approach. The authors also do an excellent choreographing of the release of the Spring of 1973. They were not repatriated on one fleet of C-141s but came home in stages. We learn that a handful of guys were released through Saigon and 2 through Hong Kong (!). There are some caveats attached to this review: HB cannot be skim read. It demands attention and a substantial investment of time upfront. Casual readers are in the wrong place! They won't appreciate the 88 pages of appendices and notes/footnotes. HB also concentrates on prisoners held in the major North Vietnam detention centers. The missing in Cambodia, Laos and even China are outside the scope of HB. But HB is also silent on the fate of the discrepancy cases of those lost in the 4 countries. One hopes that the authors, writing a book that admits to being "an official publication of the Department of Defense", are not attempting a "Case Closed" on the 1,783 still unaccounted for. This observer will give the authors the benefit of the doubt here. Still. FAR more disturbing is a gratuitous remark on Page 589 that those who continue to press for a fullest accounting of the missing are "a swarm of polemicists and opportunists". This reviewer is one of them! He belongs to neither of those species! Since it is most likely that no offense was intended, none is taken but that comment demands an explanation! It certainly merits an unfortunate reduction in rank to 4 stars. That there even is a page 589 is the essence of HB. This one is not for those with a passing fancy on the Indochina War. A final note: There is a new, voluminous publication available on amazon-"An Enormous Crime". That particular 566 page volume-in small type no less-claims to be the "definitive account of American POWs abandoned in Southeast Asia". The different scope of EC should encompass what HB did not. Maybe these 1,000+ combined pages of text will shed a final light on the thorny question of POWs/MIAs in Indochina. Congressman King (R-NY) is also attempting to convene new hearings on the same subject. This painful matter will be with us for a while. The bottom line to "Honor Bound" is the headline above. This is indeed a great work of military scholarship and for that the authors deserve their due.

I bought this book sight-unseen as part of Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion. When it arrived, my first thought was that it was way too sweet... "Oh Gag!" came to mind. However, I pulled it out a few nights later and read it to my baby girl at bedtime and liked it. I pulled it out again the next night, and the next. It quickly became one of our favorites. It is an especially nice way to end a day that didn't go so well - too much whining, too much stress, too much everything - this is a nice little book to share at bedtime to calm down, slow down, and relax.

My son thinks he is the boy in this book. This might be in part because I like to insert his name in the title and question that is asked in the book: How do I love you ______? I like to end with I love you ____. We own the board book version and it is a bedtime favorite. Our family discovered P.K. Hallinan (who does his own illustrations) when we purchased a copy of A Rainbow of Friends. Hallinan has written and illustrated several children's books; another of his books, similar to How Do I Love You? (though not quite as good) is ABC I Love You - this book has a brother and sister in it, so I can read it to my son and daughter together, and they can both be in the story. :-)

Reinforces the unconditional love between a parent and a child in a cute little rhyme. There have been times when my own kids have gone through one of the same things this kiddo goes through, and I quote part of the poem to them---for example "I love the way you act so brave when you fall and hurt your knee" or "and even though it may not show, i love you when you're bad." My kids love it, and I mean every word when I read it to them.

This book is so sweet. It makes me stop and appreciate all the little things about our boys that can drive us crazy.
"Even when you lose your shoes, I love you just the same," she says, and the picture shows a little boy in his church clothes with his pants rolled up like he played in the creek. I love cuddling with my little boys and loving on them while we read it.

Our 4 kids absolutely love this book, so do I! :)- This is a frequent request! What a cozy book!

Wennermark's stark, haunting imagery and stirring, inventive cadences ("Beat with bottles. Broken bottles jammed in their mouths. Broken teeth and torn mouths.") grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you, simultaneously rattling your guts, your heart, and your brain.

One gets the experience of entering a totally new literary universe, and if this is disorienting at first, the deeper you delve and the closer you read the more richly you are rewarded, as subtle stylistic flourishes begin to emerge and passages of pure, unadulterated brilliance pop off the page:

"Now. This was the time of death. This was no time. In her mind, the long dull beat of the present infected with past. / A long sit by the corpse."

"Be kind to the servants for they provide the foundation upon which our empire rests. Canon fodder is an ugly term. Recall the pyramid is the most stable shape, broad and tall."

The same is true for the sublteties and nuances of character and plot, which grab you and hold you rapt (or, to use Mr. Wennermark's own device, hold you imprisoned) the more you allow yourself to be swept away by Wennermark's scintillating prose. Rarely is a reader given the opportunity to be simultaneously engaged, challenged, and inspired in so thorough a manner.

the author could have explained more about the Falun Dong situation to draw the reader into the world he was creating; instead, he distanced me. I could hardly get through this excerpt since I met no one in it that i wanted to read more about. Too disjointed, too distant, too story-less for me.

This excerpt of Erik Wennermark's novel "I am Falun Gong" gets your attention from the beginning. The writing itself is very clear, very direct, wonderful turns of phrase, yet has a mysterious and haunting quality as it moves the reader back and forth from what may have happened in the past to what may or may not be taking place in the present. The narrative is laced with politics and history yet in a way that seems mystical at times. The Oriental backdrop is nicely captured. At a minimum, having read the excerpt, you really want to know where this is going and what message the author is weaving for the reader. It promises to be an interesting one.

Erik Wennermark's voice is unique in this excerpt about a young Falun Gong refugee. This is a beautifully-crafted and very intense piece by a talented writer, reminiscent of works by Louise Erdrich.

Judging from this excerpt Erik is a wordsmith of considerable power and mastery. I couldn't pull myself away. Great stylistic control, vivid imagery. The reader is mesmerized into a mindset that is alien to most Westerners yet utterly believable and poignant and chilling. Great work!

a must read book for those who seek the true,Maharaj explains us his knowledge,he hard earned with his life,free to us all,
what he is giving is the essence & will directly come into the hearts of the longing seeker ,
he also explains us that with words, truth cannot be explained,
we have to go beyond the words ,where the seeker meets the sought
& there wont be anyone to explain or hear
what he follows is the direct path to salvation and said as the Hardest,where the unconditional pure faith alone can liberate,
u can hear the unique words ,trust the book as it is from one of the realised ,i love the book
and it gives me strength to live without clinging to anything other that the "I",i bow my head at my Divine Master, from where i first happen to hear about Maharaj,& the Generation of Divine Masters,
I express my humble gratitude to Maurice Frydman Who let us all hear and know Maharaj

Using words to describe what is beyond words will always fall somewhat short; this book, however, narrows the gap considerably. You are not who you think you are. Who are you? This book answers that question as accurately as it can be answered in words. If you have only one book, let this be it; if you ask only one question of yourself, let it be "Who am I?"

Words do no justice to the "teachings" found herein. I would recommend no other book prior to this. If one wishes to end suffering and awaken to ones true nature, this is all you shall require. With all, as all.

I AM THAT is my bible-In his clear yet deeply profound answers Sri Nisargadatta expounds the timeless truths of self-realization which Christ called the Kingdom of God within us.This unique book can be opened at any page and provide the reader with powerful insights into their real essence by negation of the temporary and unreal to the true fullness of their real being.A must for seekers of the light.

I love this book. If only his main teaching were not eventually to stop reading and actually to start the deep inner search he suggests, I would happily while way the rest of my life reading it.

The absolute calm certainty of his position at the very centre of the inward search, calling you on and soothing your fears, is so reassuring.

Come on in, the water's lovely!

I was lucky enough to meet Laura and experience the joy and enthusiasm that flows so freely when she talks of creating and sharing this wonderful book.

It's a story that tells both sides of a caring relationship, presenting perfect-pitch dialogue that shows there are no limits to the stretch of the human heart when it comes to love.

This may be perfect for children, but reading it to them enriches each of us by resonating the simple and powerful value of love.

the transaction was flawless, efficient and timely. this was a special item for our children...i love you more is a personal way we sign all correspondence and voice messages, and the book was more than appropriate.

Fast delivery! This book is awesome! I bought it for my granddaughter for her 8th Birthday because we play the "I love you more" game on the phone and she always wins! I can't wait to sit down with her and flip it back and forth and back and forth and back and forth! Even though the book is about a little boy and his Mommy, I'm going to do a little "artistic editing" to personalize it to "Nana and Granddaughter". I'd love to see this book written with different relationships but it's still wonderful and I recommend it to everyone who loves smeone who loves them more!

I love how this book is set up in that the "love never ends"...I read it to my 19 month old at least every other day and he really seems to enjoy it!

My kids' reading skills are beyond most picture books, but that hasn't stopped them from enjoying a clever and touching new book called I Love You More, by Laura Duksta.

The story is simple, and the illustrations are bright and colorful, but it's the design of the book that sets it apart from so many others. Read as a conversation between a boy and his mother from the child's point of view, the dialogue comes to an end in the middle of the book. At that point, you flip the book over and the story begins again, only from the mother's perspective.

It's a never-ending story, and one that will absolutely delight toddlers who are just learning how to read and express themselves. But, as I've seen with my own kids, some books are classics to be left on the shelf and taken down every now and then just for fun, no matter what your age.

My family highly recommends I Love You More. It would make a perfect gift for a new mother who needs to learn that it's never too early to start reading to your children.

Kate Milburn writes like no other modern day poet. When I slip into her first book, I feel as though I have landed in another time. A subtle phrase reminds me that she is modern, living in the same world we do, but her sensitive soul sees so much more than the rest of us. She responds, and conveys passionate depth through art, this is truly her greatest talent.

I loved the poetry found within the passages of this book. She guides us into her own spiritual journey, a generous artist indeed. Each verse is richly romantic, but I especially loved "Journey Beyond the Trees" and "Innocent Rosebuds." How sweet this poet is, how she carries grace to heights beyond a very successful life. I can't wait for her second book, I'm sure she will shine even brighter!

In her first book, Ms Milburn presents a delightful, sweet respite from a huried world. I really enjoyed this book. I was reminded of many of the romantics - Millay, Yeates and Byron as I journeyed through 70 unique poems. How generous of the author to invite us along.

Kate Milburn is blessed with many gifts,as evident in her poetry and her successful life. She possesses a true neo-renaissance spirtit! I can't imagine what she will do for an encore.

I recently received this book as a birthday present. I loved all the poems, especially those about nature. I found them to be very soothing, inspiring introspection. During the winter months "down under" we could use a little introspection. It is a great addition to my poetry library.

My ancestors were Irish, sent to Australia as punishment in the 1800s,we never looked back. So, knowing that Ms Milburn's next book will center on her Celtic roots has me (anxiously)waiting in the aisles.We Irish love our poets! Thank you for including this wonderful book at amazon.com. I'm planning to order copies for my cousins in Ireland and Scotland.

I really enjoyed reading this book. All the poems were unique, it was a wonderful read. I believe it will endure because the verse is so profound, without being too wordy.

My favorite part of the book was the introduction. Ms Milburn does not issue some introspective analysis for her work. She lends credit for her love of literture to her mother. As a child, through observation, she would watch as her mother with children in tow would find solace in reading by the sea. Any mother would be proud.

I had the pleasure of attending the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC in May. I had the opportunity to meet many writers from around the world. But my most lasting memory is of Kate Milburn. She spoke with such passion for her love of literture, art and beauty, that I was brought to tears of joy. She read from her first book and the audience was so taken with her, she ran out of books at the book signing table.

So I'm here at amazon.com to order some copies for friends and family. We Welsh love poetry and appreciate soul-searching verse. I shall place my copy of "I Only Ask For Yesterday's Encore" next to my copy of Dylan Thomas.

I know that Kate Milburn is a special poet, because I have committed many of her lines to my memory. I remember my English professor in college telling our class, that this is the sign of a poet for the times.

I relished reading this book, not only for the unique verse that captured my heart, but because it told a story. The story of a young woman, who seemed to write from a time long ago. A time when romance was imbued in everything and touched everyone on a grand and small scale. The surprising thing is that she is from a generation that seemed destined to remove all of that from the world. Fortunately, that did not happen, and Ms. Milburn spins hope for us all in her beautiful poetry.

scott fried came to my school this week and talked about his experience and had half of the auditurium in tears it was a truly amazing story and definately made me want to buy the book. although some found it sad, i thought it was more of an inspirational story about life and who you truly are.

This past weekend I attended a Jewish Social Action weekend with 100 others hoping to have a good time and try to change the world around me and bring smiles to peoples faces. I had no idea that in the course of this weekend I would get to hear a man named Scott Fried speak. Scott Fried is one of the most amazing people I have met in my life. This book doesn't just tell the story of Scott Fried, a Jewish Homosexual from New York, it tells the story of what we all feel inside. It explains the values of self-respect and knowing that you are sacred. It pushes you to look deep within your self, and find the person you are not the person you want others to see. I would highly recommend that all of you get a chance to hear Scott in person because it truly is a life changing experience. I borrowed this book from a family member, and though it was painful, I read every one of Scott's words. The bravery and courage it took to record so much pain should be looked upon as heroism. This book is a must read for anyone who feels as though they are hiding something (and that is all of us).

This book discussed the facts of life that the great majority of us would like to ignore. It is not only personal, but extremely factual as well. I had the extreme pleasure of watching Scott speak, and it was a life changing experience. Intrigued, I purchased the book not knowing what to expect. What I got was a soul searching book that not only educated me on a myriad of different subjects, but most importantly educated me about the will to survive. It taught me about how one man had overcome so much, and how willing he was to share his feelings for the benefits of others. This is written with excellent grace and bravery. It is recommended for anyone who is not afraid to look within themselves after read how one man did.

Scot is loving and caring. His book is very well written. Also his CD is great.

Scott Fried is one of the worlds truly amazing people. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy this book from him personally which you unfortunately cannot. It is the experiences of an amazing man put into words so eloquently and delicately that after reading it you will feel as though you have lived that life and been a part of everything he speaks of. If you have an interest in life, AIDS, friendship, or love... this book will speak to you. I hope you enjoy it as much as i did...

I bought all 3 German Pimsleurs when I moved to Germany a year ago. Within 6 months I was prattling away in Germans and people here didn't believe I didn't speak a word of it before I moved here.

Now I'm dating an Italian and have picked up this first Italian with every intention of going through the series. This is the best way to get a basic grasp of a language. Comfortably, in a way that makes you feel that you can speak and add vocabulary, rather than merely reciting set phrases like a trained monkey.

Would I do this if I was only a tourist? Don't know. My boyfriend is now using my German one (with me translating the commands into Italian from English) and he's thrilled that he's learning to understand and speak German. For me, Italian is my 6th language, but German is his first foreign language. It works. If you follow it, it works. It won't teach you everything, but it will teach you the framework you need for understanding how to parse and manipulate a language you are learning. I spent 5 years with French, 5 years with Russian and 2 years with Arabic in classrooms and NEVER ever felt as comfortable with those languages having only classroom grammar drills. Let's face it, you didn't learn your mother tongue in a grammar book, filling in worksheets. You learned it by people saying things to you and making you interact with them.

Pimsleur is more like teaching a man how to fish than feeding him a fish dinner... it all depends on what you want then, doesn't it?

The bottom line is, when you're trying to use the language in a foreign country, you need to have a a few dozen words and phrases on the tip of your tongue at all times (e.g. dove, abito, che cosa, Quale la strada per Roma etc.) Pimsleur is the best at doing this.

The Pimsleur Method is excellent in that it beats these basic phrases into your head by introducing them to you, making you say it multiple times, then asking you to repeat it again 10 minutes later. You're asked to recall a phrase sometimes when you least expect it--forcing you to truly know your comprehension.

Most language tapes I've used just get too overwhelming--they pack dozens of words and phrases onto an hour cassette. The Pimsleur tapes take the same material and stretch it out over several tapes and build in the repetition exercises. There's an English speaking narrator which is essential when you're getting started. Eventually there's less and less English, but always enough so you know what's going on.

You do need a grammar book to supplement your learning as there is a dearth of written material that I haven't found helpful as other reviewers have mentioned. Often times you hear a word and don't know if it's Che or K--seeing it written was extremely helpful.

I used Italian I last fall before going to Italy and it worked wonders. I'm on to Italian II now where you get into past tense--which wasn't covered at all in all 30 tapes of Level 1.

Finally, check with your local library if the cost is prohibitive; it's worked well for me.

I just completed Pimsleur Italian I and I'm very pleased with it. I am now beginning Pimsleur Italian II.
The course is not perfect but it is far superior to all of the other audio courses I have tried or examined. As somone familiar with earning theory, I absolutely agree that Pimsleur duplicates the same language acquistion method we use to acquire language as children. I have, however, some suggestions for gaining the most from the course.
1. Get a good dictionary, a verb conjugation book and look up words in the lessons so that you can write them down. Aural learning is great but accompanying visual learning it is even better.
2. After listening to each lesson a few times, write them out, in sequence, on 3x5 cards and use them as "drill flash cards" (I put the English on the front and the Italian on the back and fill each card up with as many phrases as would fit). This is a bit of work but also extremely helpful for forming a Gestalt. My wife and I drill each other using the cards and it is a nice change from the CD's.
3. Since Pimsleur does not systematically or comprehensively offer those specific phrases and nouns that tourists need (e.g., helpful travel phrases, helpful in-hotel phrases and objects like "pillow," "soap," etc.), as you go, put such phrases together on "Extra" 3x5 cards and commit them to memory. This is easy within the context of the Pimsleur method because you will already be learning how to put sentences together--one of Pimsleur's strengths.
4. Each lesson starts with a dialogue. After a few listenings, be sure to write the dialogue down in sequence so that you can read aloud along with the CD. This combination of aural and visual learning greatly enhances your ability to cope with the speed with which the speakers on the CD speak the language. I found at times that ther speed was so confusing it sounded like they were using words that had not yet been introduced or included in the lesson under consideration. However, once I figured out and wrote the dialogue down (using the forward/back buttons on my CD player to re-listen multiple times) it all came very clear and my ear improved dramatically.
5. Don't expect to learn each lesson after two or three listenings. We listen to the lessons at least 10 or 15 times each. We also, for the first few times through a new lesson, hit the pause button after being asked to translate a phrase from English into Italian in order to avoid the pressure resulting from the short space of time they give you to come up with the answer-translation. We found that we could, after a few listenings, dispense with the longer pause as we learned the phrases.
6. Finally, I suggest that you wait until you've learned all the lessons before bothering with the reading practice. You can do the reading at the end because the reading is not connected in any meaningful way to the lesson that precedes it. The reading is useful however, because it helps you to read and pronounce more accurately.
In summary, I'm very pleased with the Pimsleur approach and plan to buy and study Pimsleur II and III.
Incidentally, I called Pimsleur and asked them if they sold an addendum transcript booklet of the disks but was told that such a transcript flew in the face of their theoretical belief about how one should learn a language. While I don't agree, I admire their integrity. They could sell a ton of such transcript booklets if they so chose.

From an Italian teacher's perspective, I highly recommend the Pimsleur series. If you're serious about learning Italian, I do think they're the best. And the reason is because they get you to repeat the phrases over and over and over again. Learning a language takes time, but if you need some essential expressions before your trip, they also offer an Instant Conversation series, which is a lot shorter than this one.

The important thing in learning a language is repetition, and you'll get plenty of it with these CDs, as well as learning correct pronunciation.

Remember the first time you hear a song? It takes time to learn it, doesn't it? Well, imagine learning a song in Italian.. it takes even longer, but with some patience, you too will be singing the language of love!

As far as books go, you may end up using a combination, but I do like the Living Language Beginner's book a lot.

Definitely join a course in your area - there's no better practice than to practice in a group! Perhaps you can ask if a community college has it as a continuing education program - although you won't have big problems with the language in the bigger cities, Italians do appreciate if you know at least a little bit.

If instead, you're planning on visiting Southern Italy, or the countryside, you definitely want to know some Italian (if you want a vacation, and not an adventure, that is!).
I hope this helps! Grazie & arrivederci!
[...]

Pimsleur Italian I is the most effortless language program I've ever encountered. The program introduces new material at such a gradual pace that it's barely perceptible. I was astounded, however, at how much I had learned by the end of the program. Before starting Pimsleur I read a few pages from an Italian grammar book and was completely overwhelmed. After finishing Italian I, I reread the grammar material and, although Pimsleur rarely presents grammatical rules explicitly, I was able to infer them to such a degree that not only did the grammar seem manageable, but it felt more like review.