Languages Books

I found the book to be clear, concise, and a pleasure to read. Laced with subtle humor, this book provided the answers to my questions regarding getting a literary agent.

Michael Larsen shares some interesting point of view on the process of finding an agent and an entertaining look inside a good day and a bad day in an agent's life. He attempts to solve the mystery of the agent - author - publisher triangle in How to Get a Literary Agent. It's an interesting book but I would caution, as with any advice, to apply common sense. If something doesn't feel right for you, don't do it just because you read it in an expert's book. Always remember an agent's stated guidelines trump anything you read in a book.

This book gives a step by step approach to selecting and approaching Agents. There is a template for writing the query letter, things to look for when searching for an agent and some advice on writing. More importantly it gives a list of the things that will put an Agent off almost immediately like comparing yourself to Tolstoy and repeated calls to check if they received your submission for example .

What is 'missing' from this book is a list of Publishers and Agents, and for that I recommend Jeff Herman's book because it gives what they want in their own words in the Agents section.

Like so many other books aimed at separating wanabe authors from a few of their dollars, this is more of the same. No better or worse. If you need a book, go for the cheapest. It will help you as much, and leave you with money for a dog and a beer.

I read this book in the same way I would read a fiction novel, it was that enjoyable to read. Michael Larsen's writing style is humorous and easy to read. He inspires in a truthful way, letting you know the downsides to publishing and finding an agent as well. I finished this book in one day, and i'll be going back to it often to re-read the majority of it. It's jam packed with tips and relevant information that help you understand the whole process of getting the agent, what the agent does for you, how the entire publishing process works, and details what they usually do to market your book.

Reading this book before you're done writing your novel, or while you're querying agents, will give you an edge. You'll want to start formulating plans on how to market yourself, and the earlier you do this, the better off you'll be when you finally obtain an agent.

While I wouldn't make this your only purchase on the subject, it is a necessity. This book along with Putting Your Passion Into Print, will help you understand just about everything you need to know about the publishing process. You will most likely need other ones for sample queries and proposals.

I haven't tried to get my script published yet, so I can't honestly say if this book "works" or not. Also, it's the first book on script writing/selling that I've read. So that said, while I don't have any comparisons to other books that I can make, I can say that this books was a good introduction to a world I was pretty unfamiliar with.

I liked the easy to follow format and structure of the book, as well as the authors' realistic but optimistic approach. I was pleased that the authors' presented varying points of view regarding various topics (i.e. sending scripts vs. query letters). Also, the resource list in the back, and glossary at the beginning, are wonderful for someone (like myself) who doesn't know where to start.

An interesting and fun read, and a seemingly practical approach. I felt like I learned something!

It is a ggod book, but in the entertainment word it is not what you know, but who you know.

Writing a screenplay for the movies or for television is only the beginning of the process. Once the script is written it must be pitched (sold) to a studio executive or a production company producer. Expertly co-authored by veteran script writers Lydia and Joan Wilen, "How To Sell Your Screenplay: A Realistic Guide To Getting A Television Or Film Deal" provides an informed and informative introduction to how the script writing business works, what the components of a professional-looking screenplay are, and how to format a script to make the best impression. "How To Sell Your Screenplay" then goes on to explain the role and importance of agent and managers, producers, lawyers, directors, and actors. Enhanced with the example of an effective query letter, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" also features the 'Square One System' for submitting scripts with a minimum of time, cost and effort, while achieving a maximum of success. Of special value is the up-to-date listing of resources, the advice for improving pitching skills, and avoiding common mistakes in pitching a script. Simply stated, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" should be considered 'must reading' for all aspiring script writers seeking to establish themselves professionally.

There are endless how-to volumes that skirt the necessary information needed to break down the vaulted door to Hollywood. Between the covers of such books are topics ranging from the author's personal brilliance to trivial and irrelevant sidebars. If you like that sort of thing, good news! There's plenty to choose from.

However, Lydia and Joan Wilen have written the authoritative book for beginning scripters. The Wilens have actually had their material produced. That in itself is a feat most screenwriting "experts" can't boast of. So, when they have a suggestion, I pay attention. And what they have to say has led me to a legitimate producer who has requested my script. In fact, favorable suggestions were offered, which I've incorporated into a revised draft that's being read even as this is being written.

The point is, none of this would have occured had I not purchased How to Sell Your Screenplay. My dog-eared copy has helped open a door for me not previously accessible. Buy this book, read it, then read it again before embarking on a journey as treacherous as writing a script - selling it!

Despite the authors' distance from Hollywood and lack of produced experience as screenwriters, they've done a fabulous job--partly because of the excellent rubrics of the SquareOne Writers Guide series--of putting together a solid overview of what's involved in making a screenplay sale. The book contains invaluable sidebars--from sample collaboration agreement to sample query letters--that alone makes it worth the cover price. The systematic approach to marketing, glossary of industry terms, along with advice on containing your ego and controlling your emotions-all add up to making this a must in the Hollywood storyteller's library.

Before this set went on the market, I tried using some other kanji cards that I bought in Japan, and was disappointed. They all have problems, such as useless vocabulary examples, poor durability, or random organization.

These are the best kanji cards on the market, even in Japan, and are designed especially for English speakers. They're highly durable, and are organized by JLPT level. This ensures that you're learning the most important kanji first.

Learning these JLPT level 2 kanji is not a simple thing. There are over 700 cards, and it takes time, effort and patience. I've now completed a "brief introduction" to all of the cards in this set, and I am astonished at how useful it's been at aiding me in my reading comprehension in my everyday life (I live in Japan). As soon as I learn a new card, I start to see that kanji all around me. It was always there, but now I notice and understand it.

If you've found this product and have already decided that you are determined to learn these kanji, don't think twice about buying. You can do it, with the help of White Rabbit Press!

My only complaint is that there are too many of these cards to learn! But that's the fault of the Japanese, not White Rabbit :-)

I love these cards. Without them, I don't think I would have passed the JLPT Level 2.

As I am beginner I can't recomend this product for beginners for learning. This is too much difficult - it's really good idea to start with Volume 1 :-)) But the style of it is excellent.

I am not usually a review writer, but I have to say something about these cards. I have seen every other popular series of cards. In fact, I've seen every set that advertises itself anywhere that I could find them. I graduated with a major in Japanese for Education K-12, and am currently living and working in Japan. Japanese is my personal hobby, and there is no interest that I spend more time on than on studying Japanese.

And through all of that, I can only recommend White Rabbit Press for Kanji flashcards. No other card set is sufficient for study in my opinion. Why? For many reasons, but the #1 reason: they all use Romaji! Romaji is the use of English letters to represent Japanese characters. For example, Sushi is romaji because it doesn't use the real Japanese characters ( or ). This is unforgiveable, period. You absolutely cannot study Kanji cards with romaji on them. If you do, you are not a serious student of Japanese (or you only do so because you didn't know about these cards).

Second, the other card sets are cheaply made, have few (irrelevant or infrequently used) examples, do not adequately show the stroke order (how to write it), and lack denotations for which character compounds will appear on the JLPT. White Rabbit Press has all of these and more.

And another incredibly stupid thing is that some of the flashcard sets contain the character and the reading on the SAME SIDE! What the heck!? Did they even think about what a flashcard is before they made those lame excuses for study materials?

Don't be fooled. Lots of study materials for Japanese are available, but the vast majority is pure garbage. Can you learn something from them? Sure. Are they good for serious study? Absolutely not. This goes for books, grammar guides, workbooks, tapes, etc. Anything that uses romaji beyond the first or second chapter is pure trash, and not even worthy to be recycled (I'm exaggerating that, of course). Anything that promises quick learning with little effort is a pure lie; it's a sales gimmick to trick you and get a quick buck.

If you're serious, learn the Japanese Kana (katakana, hiragana). Learn them so well that you come to hate romaji. Then, get these Kanji cards and use them like crazy.

The White Rabbit Press flash cards are indeed the best. They are the only kanji cards on the market that provide complete preparation for the kanji portion of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). There are easy to use and fit nicely into the storage box. Also, White Rabbit Press offers exceptional customer service. There was a problem with my order and they addressed the problem and had the cards shipped in less than 24 hours from initial time of order. I was most appreciative. I highly recommend!

"Just Be Honest" is a great resource for home and for work. It's a little book that provides a punch right from the start. You don't have to read page after page of filler. I found it useful immediately.

The company I work for paid for our entire division to attend his seminar. It's simply amazing how much we don't know about effective communication. Just last night I utilized his strategy and it worked flawlessly. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this!

Steve Gaffney has captured the essence of communication and he shows, in simple terms, how to effectively deal with the most common problems that affect our professional and personal relationships. His vivid examples and practical suggestions come together in an easy-to-read book full of helpful information. I would recommend it to anyone who regularly communicates with others!

This book is awesome!
We'd have a lot less problems in this world if everyone read this and implemented the simple steps Steven points out.
The book will help you in all facets of your life!

With this new book Steve Gaffney takes a quantum the leap from run-of-the-mill, motivational, cheer-leader to foundation shaking visionary. The chapter on Columbo should be required reading for anyone interested in succeeding in corporate America. Using Mr. Gaffney's easy to understand strategy I was able to obtain a position in my company that I was woefully underqualified for. As an added bonus I have been able to parlay Gaffney's "Authentic Communication Strategies" into a very active sex-life. Needless to say my "calendar" is full...With quite a bit of variety...If you know what I'm saying.

I purchased this book for my Spanish novel class, and for that class only. I didn't enjoy the ending, and the reading was hard for me, but then again, reading is not a strong point of mine. It isn't too terribly hard to understand, but it is a very good "reflection" of Uruguay in the time in which it was written (XX century.) I wouldn't say it is a bad book, but I personally didn't really enjoy it as much, probably because I had to read it for class and we went through it very quickly. Has some humour in it, but one would have to understand the historical/cultural background of that idea to get the humour. The footnotes are really helpful, and if you want to read it, by all means, read it.

Nunca antes había leído algo de Benedetti, y ahora soy su más ferviente admiradora. Lo he conocido a través de La Tregua, y para mí ha sido su mejor carta de presentación. Una novela llena de humanidad, de sencillez, de ser humano. Un poema de amor hecho novela! Sus personajes se metieron tan dentro de mi alma, que me entristecí cuando la terminé. Qué bueno eres, Benedetti!!! La recomiendo siempre.

¿Han leído a Julio Ramón Ribeyro?, bueno, en "la tregua" de Benedetti encontré la misma característica que me hizo amar los libros de Ribeyro. Estos dos señores escriben de tal forma que es inevitable llegar a sentir un cariño real por los personajes, estos te inspiran ternura, pero muy profundamente, nada parecido a otros autores que he leído. Los cuentos de Ribeyro son hermosos, y también lo es "La Tregua". Esta es la historia de un hombre que está por cumplir 50 años, y espera su jubilación. Vive una vida muy solitaria, aunque la comparte con tres hijos con los cuales no tiene la mejor de las relaciones. Su historia es narrada en primera persona, en forma de diario; su vida transcurre en medio de la rutina, el aburrimiento y la soledad, pero Benedetti asombrosamente logra hacer de este relato algo muy entretenido. Por la forma en que está escrita la obra, en primera persona, es más fácil identificarte con el personaje, pues de alguna manera este señor le está contando su vida a uno. Tengan cuidado al leer otros reviews en esta misma página, pues cuentan partes de la historia que es mejor no saber antes de empezar a leerla, es mucho mejor sorprenderse. No recuerdo algún libro que al leerlo me haya hecho llorar (aunque debe haber habido alguno)...pero este lo hizo, lo confieso, una sensación alucinante. 5 estrellas se me quedan cortas, por favor léanlo.

Just the best book I have ever read, and I have read a lot. Do not hesitate one second about buying it.

this is one of the greatest works by Mario Benedetti, a story of sadness, solitude and routine. One great virtue of this book is the way it transmits all the moods that the author is presenting through it's descriptions and the way of living of the characters. La Tregua is about love, life, and the reality of a world who doesn't allows us to live as we may want to. There is people who work for a living and there are many who live to work. Share with Martin Santomé and Laura Avellaneda the social dilema that Benedetti is Presenting us.

Karen Sommerfield receives news that she is being laid off, despite years of loyalty and the fact that she helped build the company to what it is today. She also receives bad news that a cancer that she thought she would not see again has returned. Her doctor has asked her to make an appointment as soon as possible, as he thinks that the initial test results are pointing towards the return of this disease, but he is not one-hundred percent sure.

Karen has not been home since the death of Grandmother Rose two years ago. Going home brings back many happy memories of a woman Karen had loved. While at home dealing with the emotional drama taking place in her life, Karen also becomes involved in a summer camp program called JUMP KIDS. As Karen's her outlook on life changes, her heart opens and she learns to love again.

THE LANGUAGE OF SYCAMORES is a beautifully written story about a woman who finds herself needing direction in her life. This book about family and the ties that come with them is a novel to be cherished. The central plot of this novel may center around Karen, but it is the secondary characters and the love that shines from the pages that make this an emotional read. Learning about her history Karen finds the things her Grandma Rose did and said all come from a past that she knew nothing about. As she learns about her ancestors, her life takes on a new direction and she grows as a person.

Lisa Wingate is definitely a talented writer. As the third novel in a four book series, THE LANGUAGE OF SYCAMORES can definitely stand alone, but having read and become enthralled with Karen, and her family, this reviewer definitely will be seeking out the previous (TENDING ROSES, GOOD HOPE ROAD) and the fourth novel, DRENCHED IN LIGHT. Having previously been released in 2005, luckily for this reader, all four novels are on bookshelves everywhere.

Review Courtesy of LoveRomancesandmore

This is the third of the "Tending Roses Series" It is just as wonderful as the previous two books of this warm series. Book 1:Tending Roses....Book 2:Good Hope Road.

I believe each book can be read on their own, but hope you can read each book in order because the wonderful characters or their decendants appear in the books that follow.

This book is a warm, heartfelt story, sometimes sad and sometimes quite humorous. A very entertaining story.

Lisa Wingate is one of my favorite writers whom I have recentlly discovered. Plan to read all she writes.

This was a great read in my opinion. It's one of those books that makes you rethink how you're living your life or how you plan to live it. It makes you think, maybe I should spend more time with my family since you never know when someones going to die or maybe you're going to die. You just never know. Anyways, I enjoyed reading this book very much.

Karen Sommerfield is facing great life challenges when her 23 year job at Lansing, a big company is laying off everyone including her department. She is also at a stale point in her marriage to James, her pilot husband who works all hours. Karen had a bad miscarriage when it was discovered she had cancer at that time-and things haven't been normal since. And then, returning to her doctor for a check-up, it was again discovered she had abnormal cells again and may have cancer. Karen chooses to turn her back though, and ignore all of it.

Her sister Kate, who is very well settled on their Grandmother Rose's farm, calls Kate and invites her one of these days to come for a weekend visit. So on the spur of the moment, without thinking, Karen decides to pack her bags right then, and get out of her turmoil-even though she has some misgivings. So she leaves a message for James, and takes off.

While on the plane, she meets Keiler, a young guy who is studying at college, and possibly seminary. Karen learns that he is counselor of the Jumpkids program-a summer length program to keep kids out of trouble, and help them develop their skills in the musical arts, other arts, and theater. At the time Karen has no idea how this will touch her life when Dell comes into it.

Once she reaches Missouri, Karen can't bear to tell Kate that she has lost her job. There was always such sibling rivalry there that the two women have trouble feeling close to each other. Kate was always the best at everything, while Karen was always second best no matter what. Karen also meets Dell, the impoverished girl across the lake from the farm who lives with her Grandma who is very sickly can't really watch her, and Uncle Bobby, who is nothing but a drunkard, and treats Dell shamefully, calling her a "nigger child," since she was born of both races.

Karen hits it off with Dell right away, and sees the potential in this poor child. She has special talents for music and the arts that no one has ever cared to recognize. So Karen really takes a deep interest in Dell, and pulling some strings, inquires into the Jumpkids program through the church minister. Dell was very very low in self-esteem, and afraid to try anything new-but with much coaxing on Karen's part, she decides to try. Karen made a promise that she would be there for her the first couple days-and what happens is that Karen falls in love with this program, and becomes one of the workers herself.

After a little time, Karen along with James decide to stay in Missouri and change their lives in a new direction. The authorities are called in for Dell finally after something strange happens in her broken home, and arrangements are made for Karen and James to become Dell's foster parents. It seems that Dell is the child they always needed-and from there the child will flourish and grow in many ways.

Karen really comes down to earth in this story, and giving up her high-powered job after being called back, decides that it is better to live with much less money, yet be happier helping youth talent develop. She and Kate also have a new beginning as sisters.

I love all of Lisa Wingate's books, but I particularly enjoyed this one. Her perfect mixture of faith and authentic life situations, not to mention characters who are as real as my next door neighbors, always make for an absorbing read. I've yet to be disappointed with one of her books and I recommend them to anyone who likes their fiction sincere, well-written and believable.

Now I know that in a blues song when they sing about the back door, they are not speaking in sexual terms, they are referring to a cheating man making a quick exit out of the back door when the husband comes home! The book is very entertaining and informative!

If you enjoy the blues then this is the book for you. This book gives you the meaning of every blues phrase ever used in a song. This will give you an understanding of blues music like never before. Absolutely fabulous.

Just like the Blues, "The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu" by Debra DeSalvo, is the nitty gritty real deal with stories and definitions from Blues masters, not from non-musician researchers who think they're the authorities. This book is informative and fun rather than dry and scholarly. You will not be disappointed if you buy it.

It's this type of work that will make sure the Blues and Blues history lives on!

Every reader will pick up something new about lyrics, terms and phrases, noted cities and neighborhoods, instruments, performers, lore, and other aspects of this always popular and colorful style of music. With occasional material from interviews with top names in blues and closely-related types of popular music in entries as long as essays of three or so pages to as short as a couple of lines, DeSalvo relates origins of words and phrases, gives examples when relevant, describes nuances in different styles, locates the origins and outlines the course of different traditions, explains details of instruments and techniques of playing them, and draws profiles of significant singers and instrumentalists. And she includes considerable colorful lore and terminology unknown to only the most knowledgeable aficionados which can only add to enjoyment of the blues with more casual fans. A lively, informative, eminently readable companion to blues music in all its history and manifestations.

This is self-described as an anecdotal dictionary of the blues, but it suffers some serious flaws and while there is some useful information, it is far from authoritative or comprehensive and while it has some usefulness, it can be improved in so many ways. There are some 150 words and phrases which Ms. DeSalvo, former Blues Revue editor, focuses on, in a volume that emphasizes the African roots of the blues, but at times does not focus on other meanings the terms have. One review in Blues & Rhythm notes the focus on sex and hoodoo, but oddly enough very little on traveling which is a significant theme of the blues.

Much is made of the fact she interviewed a number of blues performers and included the material with various entries. However much if not most of the interview material is irrelevant to understanding the language of the blues, or the entry. For example she briefly discusses crossroads focusing on the African conception which leads to a discussion of the Robert Johnson meeting the devil at the crossroad myth and notes that some believe it. Then she included a discussion of Robert Lockwood, Johnson's stepson which bears very little relationship to the discussion of the term. This would have been better included in a sidebar about Johnson and Lockwood. It would have also been instructive to include lyrics of several songs for specific terms to show contrasting meanings. As an example, Elmore James' 'Standing at the Crossroads,' clearly does not have the connotation that some impute to Johnson.

Also some of her sources are not exactly scholarly. In an entry on the Delta, she discussed Charlie Patton working for Will Dockery. She provides as her reference correspondence with Stephen Lavere. There are lengthy published biographies on Patton by John Fahey, and Stephen Calt and Gayle Dean Wardlow that should have been cited. There is no excuse to not citing these sources while citing private correspondence. Then there is this statement "In '34 Blues', Patton nails the desperation and anxiety of unemployment, but something good came out of leaving the plantation this time-Patton went to New York and recorded twenty-nine songs for the American Record Company. When these recordings were reissued in the mid-1960s, they sparked great interest in this Delta cropper who came to be known as the father of the blues." On the same page there is Patton's picture which noted he recorded for Paramount and became that label's biggest selling artist. It was the reissue of Patton's recordings by Yazoo, which presented mostly the Paramount recordings that led to this recognition of Patton's music.

Discussing Canned Heat which some strained to drink the alcohol from, DeSalvo notes that Canned Heat adopted their name from the Tommy Johnson recording and that the members of Canned Heat used their fame to help their blues heroes citing their collaboration in John Lee Hooker's "The Healer." Hmm, I would think that it was the classic double album, "Hooker and Heat," recorded when Alan Wilson, the Blind Owl, was still alive that not only was the recording that led to Hooker's crossover but it stands up with the best recordings Hooker ever made. It was an album the ghost band that is Canned Heat is today would be incapable of producing. Sorry for perhaps going off topic, but so many entries here go off topic. (Again sidebars would have been useful). However the fact she is so imprecise with this, makes me suspect the accuracy of some other entries.

She does include some suggested recordings, but more lyric quotes for the entries
would have been very helpful. Also there should have been more cross entries, such as in her discussion of policy numbers, cross references back to that entry should have been provided for some of the policy combinations. And there are numerous terms that are not discussed here. This is a really rough first effort and this work needs some serious reworking if it is going to be a useful tool, which probably also means she should find herself a collaborator and take into account the serious criticisms if she wants to put together a work that will stand up as scholarly and a reference.

What is the actual implication of this fictitious work? Isn't there a serious, profound and truthful lessons in this love story so down-to-earth but yet so complex?

Marianela, a love story published in 1878 portrays a relationship between a blind man and his guide-- not beautiful a woman, whom he imagines attractive. Loving him she worries that once the man recovers his eyesight realizes she is not as pretty as he thinks her to be.

The author wisely crafts an interesting symbolism between the capacity to see, which is always spiritual and emotional, and on the other hand the human eyesight which can be inadequate, restrictive and misleading.

The implication that runs through the whole story is that adversity is a blessing in disguise, since blindness forces him to be humble enough to perceive the beauty she and others manifest. Once he recovers his eyesight and sees her for the first time with his human eyes, he rejects her.

Wasn't he in possession of real sight while blind than when he was able to recover his sight and to humanly see? Isn't Perez Galdos message, that the capacity to see and understand is mental, emotional and not necessarily physical?

Finally I can say this classic must be understood as a lesson on the spiritual superiority over the evidence presented by the human senses. This emotionally complex story has a symbolism, it will teach a lesson to whoever is receptive enough to its deeper meaning.

I am a young "Anglo-American" (white) girl living in a Texas/Mexican border town with a 98% hispanic community, and am on my way to learning the language fluently. I read this book in my Spanish class, and nearly died from the beauty of this book! It has helped me along with recognizing and comprehending Spanish along with leaving me a satisfied reader. Someday when I speak fluent Spanish, I will read this to my daughter and am sure it will be her favorite bed-time story. :-)

Seeing as though I couldn't get the real Marianela quickly, this one suited quite well, perhaps even better. I had to write a paper on it and the simplified language made mush easier to understand.

Pablo, a rich blind boy is madly in love with poor Marianela. Things go smooth until renowned Doctor Teodoro Golfín offers to cure up Pablo's eyes. Marianela, who thinks she is ugly is afraid that when he starts seeing, he'll see how ugly(on the surface) she really is. Her fears are confirmed when he falls for his beautiful cousin Florentina, who doesn't treat Marianela too well. She is so attached to Pablo that if she doesn't look beautiful for him, she won't be any use to him. A very destructive point of view which she sticks to. It's a tragic ending but it's common in most Spanish-language stories.

I must admit that this book didn't pick my interest when I started reading it in My Spanish AP class in high school. Now after reading it I have to say that this book is wonderfully written and very educational.
Marianela is a girl who lives in The Mines of Socartes, she is the guide of a rich boy who suffers fom blindness Pablo. I loved Marianela's character since the first pages, she is so full of life, so innocent. All her life she lived out of the pity of others but it didn't matter to her. Pablo "said" he loved her and she lived in this illusion where she thought that she would finally be loved and not criticized by her looks.
Then, everything changed when Teodoro Golfin, a miracle doctor gave Pablo his sight. That's when everything changed. When Pablo saw what Marianela really looked like, he just started treating her horribly. Where did all his love go? I have to say that by the end of the book I hated Pablo with a passion. How can someone be so cynical as to tell a person how beautiful she is without really seeing the exterior appearance and then being disgusted by what he sees when he looks at how that person really looks? Sadly that's what happens with Pablo and it would have been better if he had stay blind.
This book bring some things that are really important. True beauty is on the inside, never judge someone by their exterior appearace because you might be surprised. True beauty is not something that you can see or touch, beauty has to be felt.
I highly recomend this book, it will touch your heart I promise

If you are buying this to learn Latin, I recommend buying all 4 items at the same time. They compliment each other, and are needed for cross-referencing. Familia Romana, Lingua Latina: Pars I Exercitia Latina I, Lingua Latina Teacher's manual, and the Latine Disco (student manual). My son has had 2 years of a Latin Primer, and this has been a wonderful way to continue his language study. It's interesting as well as challenging. I have not studied Latin, but have learned other languages, so I am familiar with endings, masculine/feminine words. It requires help from a parent or teacher (he's in 6th grade). If you have never studied another language, this would be difficult to teach. We have had to use a Latin/English dictionary to help with some of the words. None of the directions are in English. It starts out simple, and progresses. This book only contains the exercises, and not the answers. If you don't have Familia Romana, then don't buy this book.

Lingua Latina is composed entirely in Latin. It tells a story, beginning with simple, declarative sentences, and moving up to more complex sentences as you progress. This method allows you to acquire Latin intuitively, without conscious effort.

There are no rules to memorize, no tables or charts (except a couple in the appendix, if you are curious). You develop skill with the language by practice, by experiencing actual Latin sentences that say something you can understand. In this way, you develop an intuitive sense of what sounds correct, not by looking up a suffix in a chart.

Lingua Latina is the modern, proven method of rapid language acquisition, not the old-fashioned, formal "drill and kill" way of studying a language by memorizing its grammar and rules. I do not believe it is possible to acquire the use of a language by merely studying its formal rules. That's a form of language appreciation, perhaps, or a kind of basic linguistic study, but it does not help you communicate. It is possible to study formal grammar rules for many years and never experience what it is like to think in a new language.

The best part about the Hans Orberg method presented in Lingua Latina is that you begin thinking in Latin from the very beginning. As a beginner, one's range of Latin-based thought is, of course, relatively simple (e.g., "Roma est in Italia."). But as you move on, you soon find yourself immersed in the language, and that you do not have to consciously translate each word into English to understand. In fact, that process of word-by-word translation is not only boring and unpleasant, but affirmatively counterproductive.

Once I experienced that feeling of thinking entirely in Latin, I was hooked.

Great book for everyone because it teaches Latin in Latin.

What I like it most is the fact that you learn the language as a live language, and not only by reading classic authors from an ancient era.

But on my study I keep changing from Lingva Latina and Gramatica Latina (Prof. Napoleão Mendes de Almeida, in Portuguese), because sometimes I think it is better to know why you are doing or saying the language in a particular way.

In Lingva Latina, first you learn how to speak, for later (and for me too later) learn why you say that way.

Buy Lingva Latina and get satisfied up to the last cent you paid it.

---- PT-BR -----------------

Se você quer aprender latim falando latim, esse é o livro. Lingva Latina é um livro de latim todo escrito em latim. Se você não está interessado em ter outro idioma servindo de elo de união entre você e o latim (nem mesmo sua língua mãe), então é só comprar.

Eu só não gosto do fato de muitas vezes ele ensinar o como falar sem explicar o porquê de falar assim. Por isto eu sempre fico alternando entre ele e a Gramática Latina do Prof. Napoleão Mendes de Almeida, que é a melhor gramática em português que você pode encontrar. Está a venda na Livraria Saraiva.

Lingva Latina vale cada centavo gasto nela. Bom estudo.

This the best course of latin that I have heard of. User-friendly, dynamic and above all a real intelectual pleasure.
Worth every cent.

Alex C Tort

Maybe it's me, but I have a hard time learning languages. I learned only one language as a child, rendering me totally and utterly monolinguistic. I've tried learning languages using various methods, but none struck me as particularly effective.

So when I found the need to have some familiarity with Latin, I looked at Latin language books and courses, and rejected one after the other as being too similar to previous failed attempts. Lingua Latina, however, is different. I admit, I took a chance on this one without being able to preview or sample it (hint hint, Hans), but I am glad I did!

It's Dick and Jane for Latin. Rather than memorize lists of words and their meanings in your native language, Lingua Latina contains only Latin, starts off with very simple sentences, makes you think about each word, and requires you to figure out what each word means by context. Here's a brief example from the very beginning of the book:

"Roma in Italia est. Italia in Europa est. Graecia in Europa est. Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt."

Since we bootstrap off words in English that should already be known to you, and that are the same or similar in Latin, it is obvious what these sentences mean. And once you get through those, it usually becomes obvious what new words mean, and what contexts to use them in.

The cases and declinations of verbs and nouns are not given to you as in other language books: like a punch in the face using a table and a stern admonition to memorize the endings. Lingua Latina lets you thoroughly understand one case or declination before moving on to another. As the knowledge builds, the reading becomes easier and easier.

Each chapter consists of a reading, marginal notes (in Latin) and pictures to explain concepts that may not necessarily be clear from the text, a grammatical summary (in Latin), and three types of tests at the end of each chapter: endings, vocabulary, and comprehension. Together these cement the knowledge gained through the reading.

There is not a speck of non-Latin in this book except for the copyright page.

My only beef with Lingua Latina is that some of the words are not so obvious from context. Because of this, I would recommend either a Latin dictionary, or, better yet, the program "Latin Words" (free from http://users.erols.com/whitaker/words.htm). The program allows you to type in a Latin word including its ending, and gives you back the meaning, plus case, number, gender, and so on.

Also, a warning: unless your native language is Latin-derived (as English is), you will probably not get anything out of this book, since your language and Latin are probably alien to each other, and there would not be enough overlap for you to make sense out of the Latin.

I'm extremely satisfied with Lingua Latina! Carpe Linguam Latinam!

We used this book before and during our volunteer trip to Kenya.
It's a great resource, helps a lot, has all the basic things you wanna know (actually much more than you're going to need for a short trip), as well as slangs and even a few surprises (what to say in very specific situations, like when you're drunk or having sex (I'm guessing if they put this on the book, it must be because people asked for it)).
There are a few phrases they recommend I found out nobody uses anymore, and a few others that are used by people in the coast, but not by people in Nairobi area or other parts of the country, for example.
But still, I recommend it.
It's very small, fits in your pocket.
But there's so much information you really need to do your homework, study it before your trip, and mark the pages that interest you.

This course to teach yourself Swahili is easy for anybody - all you need is to take time and study.

I had this guide when I went to Kenya, and I highly recommend it! It was very useful when I got very ill and needed to explain to a Swahili speaking doctor what was wrong with me. I also used it when I'd go to the Masai Markets and I always got a much better deal when I'd barter in Swahili. The Kenyans can speak English, but they appreciate it when you try to speak to them in Swahili.

I loved this guide so much I am buying copies for the members of my family who will be joining me for a holiday in Kenya this coming year.

It's an absolute must for any traveler!

For a compact book on Swahili this is the best I've seen. The contents of this little gem were easily divided into useful and practical sections, covering a broader use of the language than I've come across in other similar type books. Each section was uniquely and clearly identifiable allowing faster access to put your fingertips on the words or phrases you need. This book also succeeds in helping the reader obtain a basic yet concrete understanding of the Swahili language where other similar books have attempted but failed.

This small hand-sized book is an excellent resource. Sections are seperated by practical categories (like food, social, and practical). Very easy to read, and really has everything you would need to get around.