Publications Books

I've been a sheltie owner, both of pets, show, and obedience dogs. This book is the best book of any breed book on the market. It covers everything you need to know, and though most sheltie owners aren't going to breed(nor should they), I believe that every sheltie owner should read about the breeding portions, because I've met so many people who think their sheltie should be bred. This book at the very least gives information on that aspect, as some colours shouldn't be bred together due to genetic abnormalities.

The books is very detailed and has a lot of information. I was a little disappointed with it though, as it seems to be geared more towards breeders and people who show their dog.

Now one may argue that the average pet owner does not need THAT much information.. but I would beg to differ. Some parts of the book relating to ownership could have been bigger, while other parts of the book are unnecessary to the average pet owner.

For me, there was far too much information about the breed's standards.. and then the information about mating and whelping... All totally unecessary to me. I could have used more information about training, what to expect as the dog grows, and dog/people socialization techniques. Now, there is *some* information on these areas, but you could probably write entire books on these topics alone; this book could have used more material on these topics.

Still, it is not a bad book by any means. I give it 3 stars as a pet owner, and probably 5 stars if you are a breeder or are into competitive dog shows. I'll average that out to 4 stars overall.

"Sheltie Talk" is the best Sheltie book out there, in spite of it's age (1985). I keep hearing rumors that there will be an updated edition, but I haven't seen it yet. I keep hoping.
This book has more information than most people will ever need about the breed, and it's very accessible even to the novice owner. Give this one 'paws up'!

It is the Sheltie "bible" for all breeders. I recommend it to all puppy buyers. It is not only for breeders and exhibitors of Shelties but for the companion dog owner as well. I know people with other breeds that just LOVE this book and have it as well!
Definately a FIVE star rating!!

This is an EXCELLENT book for the new sheltie owner. Very in depth information, and very easy to read. Contains info for everything from bringing the new puppy home, to basics in obedience and agility training. Only reason she didn't get five ***** stars, is because she got a bit "windy" with long explanations, and it is so easy to read, they aren't necessary. You must have this book!:)

I liked the author's approach to soapmaking. She keeps it simple, but without discounting the safety measures necessary. I was able to read the book in one sitting and could understand it easily. Great for someone just starting out in soapmaking!

Now were cookin! Great book for the beginner, and great for brushing up for the intermediate and so on. I would recommend this to those who want to give it a whirl. When you read this book you won't want to put it down until you've gone through the entire book. This book gets you all geared up and ready to go. You can use some of her ideas or stick to your own on preparations but at least you won't be scared that something may go wrong or worse yet blow up in your face. You will not be intimidated on soapmaking with this book you will be excited. So buy it, read it and get in your kitchen and start making soap. If and when she puts out another book I will be buying it. Good Luck.

This is a great book for anyone with little soap making knowledge. The details and instructions are great, nice recipies too.

Smart Soapmaking is far and away the best book on making soap at home. I have several other books on the subject which, for me, are far too complicated and scientific. They make the process seem far too daunting, to the point where you give up before you start. Anne Watson has thoroughly explained everything in simple yet practical terms and has taken away completely the fear factor. Her book makes you anxious to get started where the other books might discourage you. I cannot recommend more highly this book. I will never look at my other books on this subject again, no need to. This book is simply the best, better than all the rest!

I'm new to soapmaking and decided to take the plunge as soon as I received my book. I decided to make Anne's Shea Butter Supreme (page 35) - Oh my! It turned out and it's lovely to use. I can't believe I can make my very own soap. This book is very informative and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book for beginners.
Anne, you are a genius - thank you! : )

I bought this book hoping it would supplement the PeopleSoft SQR class and in general was not disappointed, given my expectations. I knew it wouldn't include anything on PeopleSoft 8; thus the illustrations in the "SQR and PeopleSoft" section are dated. However, the examples in the section on working with effective-dated tables were very useful and apply to all releases. I haven't read the "Advanced Features" section of the book yet, because I was discouraged a bit when I had trouble grasping a few of the concepts in the SQR Basics section. I was pleased that their sample database, on which the reports are based, is modeled on the HRMS JOB, EMPLOYMENT, and PERSDATA tables; however, including sample output with each of their exercise/illustrations would have been helpful.

In summary, if you are a pretty experienced functional person (I am a consultant), are motivated enough to invest the time to learn SQR, and have access to the tool, this may be a good choice. Certainly more information (understandably) than you can get from a five-day SQR class.

You need this book if you are going to write SQR(s). However, you won't use it much with PS 8. You'll use App Engine.

I was working on a problem a couple of years ago and took the suggestion of a co-worker to buy this book. For the last two years I have been using it as a reference. I spent a few months off and came back and embaressed myself puting a report in process scheduler. So I sat down and read the book front to back. I wish I had done this a couple of years ago.

I have been working with SQR for five years. I have used examples and the SQR manuals to accomplish what I wanted. This work provided me with a lot of knowledge that I had never taken the time to pick up. Now even if I take the time off and need a refresher the sections are highlighted.

I have found this book very useful as both a reference and a knoweldge builder. Also, the writing style was good enough that rereading the portions that I was alread aware of was not too irksome. Interestingly, I could swear some of the interview questions I have been asked came right out of this book.

Aside from the fact that there is no other book that teaches SQR, this book is unique and valuable for following reasons:

- It teaches good programming practices. Anyone who has developed in any procedural language (including scripting and query languages) can quickly learn SQR. Therein lies a problem that this book overcomes: the excellent advice given about program development and structure can offset bad habits picked up in other languages.

- It's a definitive resource for SQR developers. Although SQR is relatively easy to learn, it's also rich with features missing from most other languages, such as complete control over printed and screen output, built-in constructs for graphs and charts, and multiple output file formats. Using many of these features not easy for beginners or programmers more used to other languages, but this book shows by example how to exploit every feature SQR has to offer.

- It dispels the common notion that SQR is a PeopleSoft-only tool. In fact, PeopleSoft doesn't own the language, and SQR will work in any database environment. More important, the book shows how to develop application and database independent programs that will work in any environment. This is an awakening for those who are going down proprietary paths, such as standardizing on Oracle's PL/SQL. While PL/SQL itself a powerful language, but is limited to Oracle - migrating from Oracle to, say, DB2 requires that all PL/SQL programs be scrapped. Had the applications and reports been developed in SQR the only changes would be to tables referenced.

In addition to the above, this book also provides good practices for forming SQL queries and understanding how a poorly formed join can make the difference between a resource hog and an unintrusive application. Since SQL, like SQR, is easy to learn many developers take the path of least resistance and develop queries with no thought on their effect on production systems. This book gives sound advice for avoiding that mistake.

The section on PeopleSoft, while out of date with respect to version 8, still contains valuable information for the majority of SQR developers whose exposure to SQR is via PeopleSoft.

There is something for everyone in this book - beginners can learn SQR the right way, and seasoned developers will have a ready reference that covers almost every facet of SQR in practical terms. If your job is primarily SQR development I also recommend that you also get a copy of "SQR Programmer Reference" by Don Mellen (ISBN 0967773008) as a quick reference to the features and nuances of SQR.

Expert systems designer and programmer Vlad Landres and PeopleSoft specialist Galina Landres have completely revised and updated this second edition of SQR In PeopleSoft And Other Applications. Covering the fundamentals of the SQR version 6, and how to integrate SQR programs with PeopleSoft version 8, SQR In PeopleSoft And Other Applications is packed from cover to cover with reusable code examples, warnings of pitfalls, efficient methods, effective-dated tables, complete SQR syntax reference, and so much more. There is no shortage of solid advice and demonstrations in this straightforward and strongly recommended "hands-on" guide.

A fun and easy read for me. Helped me see nonduality in a new way and answered some questions I had. Highly recommended.

The hole drilled right through the middle of this book displayed on the shelf at a book store caught my eye, and I was introduced to the wonderful world of Chuck Hillig.

Page after page, the hole is the centerpiece through which 'nothing' and 'all things' can be seen. In his usual playful style sprinkled with his delightful sense of humor, Hillig guides the readers on a journey through the hole and into the whole.

I have since read "Enlightenment for Beginners," "The Way It Is", as well as "Seeds for the Soul," all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. You will definitely want to read his books more than once, and they will continue to enlighten you for years to come.

He talks mostly about the Void, what is beatifully descriped in the mystical literature (where I reccomend reading more about it).

Is it Truly Necessary or Important to our every day life (what is the most important right now) to emphasize the Void like this, wich is part of the dualistic nature of the Existence. Everything and Nothing, Light and Darkness, Feminine and Masculine and so on.

I want to read those good spiritual books, wich has a positive impact on my life. Not books what will distract you too much, makes you unbalanced and has more negative than positive impact on your life and personality.

I have to say, that Chuck's books have been one of the worst spiritual books I have bumbed into. That's my personal opinion. I don't like he's pushing writing style.

I truly feel like I made a mistake when I ordered this, Enlightment for Beginners and Seeds for the Soul last Christmas. Becouse of the positive comments, these seemed good books. For me they had mostly only negative impact and I don't want to reccomend any of them to anyone. Enlightment for the beginners was the best, Seeds for the Soul worst and this goes into the middle, out of these 3 books.

Stay with well writed books, wich has positive impact on your life, like for example Stanislav Grof's and Christopher Bache's books or Echart Tolle's "The Power of Now" type books, that's my message.

Listen yourself carefully, before you decide to buy any book, don't just rush and buy them becouse they seem like great books. I learned my lesson and I will for now on consider more carefully what books I will buy and what leave behind.

There are many far more better spiritual books than these out there, truly well writed books, I reccomend using your money on them. Chuck's books aren't anything necessary to buy.

Love and Laugh to everybody's life.

Chuck has done "it" again in this easy to read, motivational account of recognizing our natural state...the space of silent awareness within ( the hole) which opens outward to embrace the universe...the whole!
Mark McCloskey
Pure Silence

Are you are looking for enlightenment, peace, realization, total freedom, absolute truth?

or

Do you just think you are looking for enlightenment, peace, realization, total freedom, absolute truth?

or

Do you think that maybe you should be a little more interested in, and committed to, looking for enlightenment, peace, realization, total freedom, absolute truth

or

Are you on fire with the spirit, hotly pursued by the hounds of heaven, and desperate to do whatever it takes even at the risk of your entire life to find enlightenment, peace, realization, total freedom, absolute truth?


Well ... take a breath ... and another ...

Now buy chuck's book.

Get comfortable.
Forget your remembered past.
Forget your imagined future.
Forget all your self concepts,

and

... ENJOY !!!!!


Once again the universe tries to eff the ineffable to itself,
this time in a fun, playful yet clear and accurate book.

Apart from echoing the perrenial philosophy, Chuck also shows the genesis of all religious wars (inner and outer).

From good heart through skilled technique Chuck playfully invites you to realize that there is nothing else you need.

You are perfection ... here ... now ... all ways !

P.S.
If for any reason you can not buy the book ... please at least take the (w)hole.

This book has so much information about converting to a plant based diet. It had all the info about the nutrition of vegetarians including what vegetarian diets tend to lack. It dispels all the nutritional rumors and has a handy guide on how to switch and how to deal with those who may chastize you. It even has recepies and cooking tips for the new vegetarian chef.

Whether you do it for your health, for your love of animals, or because you want something new, Becoming Vegetarian is definitly what I would recommend for those new to the switch.

Easy reading and great guide to becoming vegetarian and even vegan. Highly recommend for those just beginning. Also recommend as a refresher for nutritional needs.

This book is fantastic, it goes over many vegetarian issues and teaches you how to eat to get the maximum benefit from your food.

This book is extremely comprehensive. It is the first book about becoming vegetarian that I have read but I am completely satisfied that it covers all the requirements of a vegetarian diet. I would also recommend this book to non-vegetarians, particularly those seeking to reduce meat intake and increase nutrition from plant foods.

This is a good book with a lot of good information. The problem with the book is that it has an agenda. If I didn't know any better I would have to think that the author was a member of PETA. Keep the politics out of the book!

I won't repeat what others have said. I saw Susanne grow as a Christian, as a wife, and then as a mother. This is a book I would read over again. It touched my heart. I will read more books by this author.

This was the ultimate book about the power of forgiveness. I loved this story and the characters in it. Susanne one day answers the door to her home only to find a teenager who claims to be the daughter of her husband. Talk about a slap in the face. The details as they come together weave a story that brings about a lot of emotion in this family as they work through the intricacies of how to deal with this new situation in their life. How can a marriage handle such a blow? How will their children handle it? The gamut of feelings in all the characters is played out in such a way as to bring this family through twists and turns that might not otherwise have happened. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. Definitely a great read.

Miralee tackled a tough topic and wove a tale of highs and lows for this family. Imagine your day starting out like any other and by the end of that day a girl has shown up on your doorstep claiming your spouse is their parent. It would be life changing.

That's what happens to Susanne when she opens the door on her birthday waiting for her husband, David, to get home. The person who drops off Brianna doesn't even wait around long enough to see if someone answers the door.

When David arrives home to celebrate Susanne's birthday she has her own surprise waiting for him. She has sent their 2 children and this other "daughter" to her mom's for the night. David then has to wrestle with the truth of his past and his life now.

Miralee did a great job bringing out their emotions and as you get to know Susanne and David, you understand why they react like they do. I for one would've flipped my lid, but then again, that's just me. Miralee kept these people, including their children, great grandfather, and grandma true to their character.

In the end the reader learns about healing, forgiveness and acceptance.

When a happily married couple with two kids suddenly is suddenly slammed in the face with a 14 year old reality, can their sanity and marriage survive the trauma?

Susanne Carson and her husband David have a marriage that is starting to falter just a bit due to their religious differences. David is so patient, and the reader cannot help but love this guy. Susanne is pretty headstrong, and sometimes I wanted to smack her.

A screech of tires and a knock on the door changes their lives forever when 13 year old Brianna announces her Mother is dead and she is there to stay with her father, David. Suffice it to say that shock and terror were only two of the emotions felt by this family, along with anger, hurt, panic and fear.

David never tries to deny the existance of a one night stand with the child's mother, but he fails when trying to explain to this wife. They both feel he was less than truthful when he kept this little secret to himself.

This is a story so possibly true, with feelings laid out for all to see through reading, that nothing is spared to the reader. One sees the emotional, physical and spiritual side to all the characters who are involved. Accepting and loving describe the children and Grandpa. Confusion seems to dominate their future when Brianna's uncle reappears in their lives. A horrible horse accident throws yet another burr into the already mixed up feelings of the family.

This first of the series is an excellent look at marriage, religion, children, sex outside of marriage and the influence of several family and friends. It also features, plainly, that old saying from the Bible "you reap what you sow"....eventually the cows come home.

I am happy to become acquainted with this new author, and will put her books right up there in my special group of authors on my "must read" list. Thank you Miralee, for this first book, and hopefully a second is on the way.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (5/08)

Susanne Carson is supposed to be spending the evening celebrating her birthday with her husband David. Boy does she get a huge surprise when a ragged-looking teenaged girl knocks on the door and says her mother has died and that David is her father. Shocked and in disbelief, Susanne hopes this is a hoax or a misunderstanding, but since the girl (Brianna) resembles David so strongly, she knows it is the truth. Together, Susanne and David must decide how to handle the situation to do what is best for their own children, while not abandoning Brianna. After a life-altering decision, they learn to embrace the gift they have been given by putting their lives in God's hands.

The author does an excellent job of allowing the reader to feel what the characters are experiencing. Susanne's anger with David for his unfaithfulness and the resentment she feels toward Brianna for showing up and disrupting their lives is realistically portrayed. David's difficulties in accepting Brianna led him to become a passive decision-maker about her future. Instead, he burdened Susanne with formulating the plan on how to handle the situation. Brianna's feelings were also well-documented. She did not want to get close because her mother had always told her that her father did not want her. It's ironic how the other children (Josh and Meagan) had no difficulty accepting Brianna as their sister. It is funny how children sometimes need to teach adults how to behave.

This book will appeal to teenagers and adults. It contains a strong message of the importance of turning control of one's life over to God. It reminds the reader that we can not change the past. Instead, we must accept what has happened and decide to move forward while keeping the best interests of everyone involved.

"The Other Daughter" is a well-written book that will trigger deep emotions in the reader, regardless of which character he or she associates with most closely. It will leave readers thinking about how they might handle a similarly difficult situation. This would be an excellent choice for a reading group because there are many situations in this book that will allow for intense debate.

Silent Suspicion is an awesome action packed mistery that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, non-stop. Dr. Lee Meadows is a gifted writer with the ability to bring characters to life. Once you start reading, you can't stop! I found this mistery to be exciting, entertaining and relexing. I feel lost and empty without Linc and his brothers after completing the book. I can't wait for "Silent Rage" to hit the bookstores, the preview of chapter one is greatly appreciated and gives me something to anticipate in the near future. Dr. Meadows, I'm proud of you and your on going excellence!

Silent Suspicion is an awesome action packed mistery that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, non-stop. Dr. Lee Meadows is a gifted writer with the ability to bring characters to life. Once you start reading, you can't stop! I found this mistery to be exciting, entertaining and relexing. I feel lost and empty without Linc and his brothers after completing the book. I can't wait for "Silent Rage" to hit the bookstores, the preview of chapter one is greatly appreciated and gives me something to anticipate in the near future. Dr. Meadows, I'm proud of you and your on going excellence!

Silent Suspicion was one the best murder mystery books that I have ever read. The mystery of the story had me so involved and anxious that I really wanted to cheat and go to the back of the book. However, I refrained and weathered the storm of intrigue and let "MR. LINC" do his thang and investigate and eventually solve the eight year old murder of Deborah Norris. I found all the characters entertaining in their role as the plot thickened. With the finger of suspicion pointing at so many I couldn't figure out whodunit...I LOVED THE INTRIGUE. Mr. Meadows, the "EPILOGUE" was da BOMB. Totally unexpected, very real, touching and a GREAT ending....LOVED IT. MAY YOU BE BLESSED CONTINUALLY IN YOUR WRITING CAREER! I look forward to reading "Silent Rage"

Silent Suspicion was one the best murder mystery books that I have ever read. The mystery of the story had me so involved and anxious that I really wanted to cheat and go to the back of the book. However, I refrained and weathered the storm of intrigue and let "MR. LINC" do his thang and investigate and eventually solve the eight year old murder of Deborah Norris. I found all the characters entertaining in their role as the plot thickened. With the finger of suspicion pointing at so many I couldn't figure out whodunit...I LOVED THE INTRIGUE. Mr. Meadows, the "EPILOGUE" was da BOMB. Totally unexpected, very real, touching and a GREAT ending....LOVED IT. MAY YOU BE BLESSED CONTINUALLY IN YOUR WRITING CAREER! I look forward to reading "Silent Rage"

Ex-Raider, Ex-Cop turned Private Investigator, Lincoln Keller is back in Silent Suspicion overturning plots and notorious deeds of deceit. This time around Linc is hired by high profile Judge Warren "War Zone" Henderson and his wife, Sylvia to investigate the eight year old unsolved murder of Deborah Norris (Sylvia's sister). Deborah was a freelance journalist who was murdered during what appeared to be a robbery, but the Hendersons do not accept that explanation. Since the case is unsolved, it is still considered an open case by the Detroit Police Department and this causes Linc some apprehension because the presiding detective is Lieutenant Nick Knackton. Knackton and Linc have a long standing beef which is fueled by his jealously over Linc's involvement with Detective Candy Malone. All of these factors combine to make an engrossing mystery.

When Linc first took the case, he thought that it was pretty clear that Deborah's death was a robbery turned bad and expected that he'd do a little investigation and bring it to a close in two days with the same conclusion that the police had made. However, after spending little more than 24 hours on the case, Linc felt there was more to the story then just a robbery gone bad. As Linc gets deeper into the investigation, he encounters past friends and acquaintances of Deborah Norris who seem to have something to hide. A myriad of characters enter the story who are far from girl and boy scouts.

Political cover-ups, adultery, blackmail, and crime rings are just a few of the obstacles that Linc encounters as he digs into the past. Along the way, readers are reintroduced to some of the characters from Meadows' previous book, Silent Conspiracy, namely, The Keller Brothers, Julie, Night Life, and Tank among others. Silent Suspicion is as compelling as Meadows' earlier book and it will leave readers thirsty for another Lincoln Keller mystery. Silent Suspicion is a 4 on the RAW Scale.

...

This book helped me to understand that I will see my beloved dog again. It answered my questions of how God feels about animals.

This book couldn't have come at a better time for me. It seems the Lord knew exactly what I needed when I visited my library 2 days before a mission trip, 2 days following the tragic death of our beloved pet Nadia. As I read the book, I kept my Bible close and it all made perfect sense. I received such peace from God through the teachings of Ms. Buddemeyer-Porter. I thank the Lord for this answer to my prayer.

A wonderful review not only of scripture, but also how well-known theologians down through history agree: You will see Fido in Heaven. I cannot rate this book high enough.

If you have ever lost a pet or know someone who has, then, aside from the Bible, this is the ONE book you really should read and share. Since it came to my attention on Amazon, I have gifted this book several times always with the same grateful result.

"Will I See Fido In Heaven" is an adult way of looking at the loss of a dear pet. This book is thoughtful, and somewhat comforting. Nothing would be more comforting than actually having the lost loved-one back by one's side. However, this book is as good as it gets.

Excellent print quality.. A glance at common people in random daily-life shots. It's a book worth a place in your hands

This book was not by Jack Kerouac. It's by Robert Frank. It's one of the seminal books in the history of photography. Many see it as a hate letter to America, but that's a shallow reading of the book. It's some of the best documentary done by a non-documentarian of the American culture of the period. If you really want to see great photography with a point of view, this is a good start.

I find lots of listings get authorship wrong when the book is about a photographer's work. Amazon needs to fix this basic flaw in their system.

Looking at this again after many years ( I first came across it about 25 years ago) the images are as poignant as ever. This is truly a great book of photographs and is perhaps the best photojournalist's collection ever published. The new edition has all the gravity and attention to detail that the work deserves.

In this new edition of THE AMERICANS, the publisher, Steidl seems to have taken every step necessary to maintain artistic integrity of Franks vision. Even going as far as having Frank supervise the new printing of the photographs used in the book. The paper used in the book is very high quality, perhaps even 'archival' grade. Of course, there is the Kerouac introduction that both rambles, amuses and enlightens. There is a small pamphlet included in the book briefly telling the background story of how this new edition came to life. While this pamphlet is basically an advertisement, it also provides the passing fan of Robert Frank with a greater knowledge of what Frank has done over the course of his life by listing other books and movies that Stiedl will be publishing in the future. Thoughtfully, museum dates are also given for those interested enough to travel to D.C., SF or, NYC for the 50th anniversary celebration and exhibition of the book. From Steidl, this is a fine book; from Frank, a work of art; and a labor of love from all involved.

We're lucky to have this edition. Robert Frank is an old man with health issues now. That he is healthy enough to oversee this work is wonderful. Everything about this edition - especially in comparison to the 2007 Delpine edition I purchased earlier this year - is first-rate. I wish I had known this was coming out!

The book is a little smaller than the Delpine, but that's the only real negative (if it is one) I can think of. The main thing to me is that the photos themselves are how Frank intended them to look. Gone are the overly-lightened faces that plague the Delpine book. This is a pet peeve of mine that kills many photos in this Photoshop age. This is very obvious in the New Orleans trolley photo. In the Delpine work, the faces of the white passengers are totally washed out, and the black faces are awkwardly lightened (someone apparently thought they were helping Frank's work). That's all corrected here. In this Steidl edition things are shown as they were intended. One can even see details in the face of the man at far left, even though it is partially obscured by a window reflection.

Also, on several photos more of the frame is visible. This was most noticeable to me in the Butte, Montana photo of the woman looking out the car window, with several children in the back seat. A good portion of the left side of the photo is now visible, along with more shown on the top and bottom. The new crop just seems more "right." Not too mention that the face of the child in the middle of the photo is too light in the older edition.

Simply put, comparing the two editions is an eye opener. I first saw these photos years ago in a much earlier edition (I believe it was the 1969 Aperture work) and I still marvel at the depth of the images in that printing. I don't have that edition in hand, so I can't do a direct comparison, but I believe the Steidl images are much closer to that ideal. Franks prefers his images a little on the flat, low-key side. Another difference is that the photos are now printed on a non-glossy paper. I was surprised at this at first, but now I believe it works much better for this book.

In short, if you want an accurate, lovingly-printed edition of The Americans at a reasonable price, this is the one. Highly recommended.

A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar is wonderfully thorough introduction to the language for students who want to go beyond the bare-bones explication of most textbooks. Each item is discussed in depth, and with dozens of example sentences the book continually reminds the reader that grammar occurs most significantly in natural human communication, rather than dry grammar dictionaries. The easy-to-use index makes lookup of particular words or usage quick and painless.

Nathan Dummitt author of Chinese Through Tone & Color

I've used a number of books to learn Japanese over the years, and this was not the first or the last, but I immediately recognized it as the most important as a learning tool and as a reference for beginners. It gives the reader a clear and concise tour through the fundamentals. It doesn't teach you "street" Japanese, but that's better learned on the street - not from a book. It would be best coupled with spoken Japanese lessons from a native speaker or Pimsleur audio (get the CD and make MP3s). Also, you don't need to learn how to read/write Japanese kana or kanji to use this book.

What it won't give you is a gentle cumulative approach to vocabulary, instead it just tosses you in the deep end. If you are serious about learning a language, that's OK - you plan to eventually learn all of the words anyway, so what matter the order in which you learn them? It's also NOT a good book for the tourist who wants a crash introductory course.

The best part? You get through this and then you can buy the Intermediate edition and continue toward fluency. Learn one word a day and you'll be fluent before you know it!

With the recent appearance of the third and final "advanced" volume of this series heaps of praise are appropriate. These three books are simply essential for serious study of the Japanese language.

At the start of my first Japanese class, now almost 2 decades ago, the instructor sang the praise of the simplicity of the Japanese language. The symbols are so clear, the pronunciations so simple, the grammar straight forward and the agglutinous nature of the language allows you to build sentences on the go, without the need of the a priori grammatical framework that say German requires. That is one way of looking at it.

After picking up Japanese again after more than a decade of dormancy I for one beg to disagree. After being force fed Dutch, French, German, Latin and ancient Greek grammar in my formative years, this little prepared me for the many challenges that the Japanese language continues to offer. While many aspects of Japanese verbs, nouns and adjectives can be put in the organized frameworks that remind me of the aforementioned languages, many of the subtleties that represent the true power of Nihongo don't fit into any framework that makes for easy learning.

The accepted format for studying Japanese abroad relies on various text books that share the similar mix of kana/kanji, vocabulary and grammar format. In class I used various textbooks. To refresh I have lately used the very complete Genki beginners series and the Integrated approach intermediate textbooks. Whereas each of these provide students with a well integerated curriculum, grammar tends to get scattered around. This makes these three dictionaries so indispensable.

While it is true, as some have remarked, that the alphabetical, non-subject-related organization of the dictionaries somewhat limits vertical integration, I cannot help but consider this a result of the DNA of the Japanese grammar. Yet, by providing cross-references to related items e.g. dake <--> shika, etc., etc. the student can find her way around pretty easily. Apart from this "genetically inherited" structure, these are truly ideal books.

Imagine using the standard textbooks and needing to find the fine print on when to use the -tara, or -ba forms. I am sorry, but that will be impossible.
Yet, these books provide numerous explanations, sample sentences, comparisons and also "faux pas" warnings. As a result every aspect of the grammar gets clarified in fine detail, which enables the student to develop a firm grasp of all the subtleties required to harness the power of this great language.

In closing two small comments. 1) Especially in the final two volumes that often omit furigana the Kanji may be hard to read for those who share my rapidly degrading eyesight. 2) The categorization of entries as basic, intermediate and advanced may at times appear somewhat arbitrary. It surprised me for example that "ikura" only appeared in the advanced volume, whereas it is among the very first words that any student encounters. But these two are only small fries.

To me it's simple: study of the Japanese language requires these three volumes.

It is more than 1 year since the last review for this book was written here, but reading through all the reviews there seems almost only to be positive comments about this book (the few negative comments there are, are rather unimportant things). BUT this book, used wrongly, may very well teach you Japanese that has never been heard from a native speaker's mouth.

The information provided in the book is overwhelming and the explanations are almost too good to be true. However, depending on what you are trying to learn from the book, in may get you in big trouble.
I am currently living in Japan and trying to pick up the language, and one thing I have come to understand is that there is not only one Japanese language ... but several. There is spoken langauge (actually there are 2 spoken languages, formal and informal), there is written language in books etc., there is news paper language, there is subtitle language (this is a fancy one!) and there are probably many more.
This is not a unique feature to the Japanese language, that is not the point I am trying to make, but especially the difference between spoken language and written language in general is so destinctive, that you must be very well aware of it.

Now, what has all this to do with the book that this review is about? A whole lot!
One evening when I sat at the dinner table studying my host brother (I live with a host family) came down from his room, saw me and placed himself on the chair besides me. He asked me what I was doing, and I of course answered `studying Japanese`. I was reading some random entry from "A dictionary of basic Japanese grammar" and when I showed it to him he started laughing and asked me why I was studying weird stuff like that.
Of course I had no idea what he was talking about, so he explained me that what I was studying was not useful at all. He had only read it once in a book but never heard it in a conversation (he is 30 and native Japanese). After consulting my hostdad he agreed as well, the stuff I was reading was useless and waste of time to study.

That little incident made me start asking my Japanese friends about stuff I had learnt from this book, and a lot of the entries they told, they never used in normal conversation.
When purchasing this book and starting to use it as a study aid or grammar reference, you should definitely have some native speaker to ask, whether what you are studying is useful at all, because the authors of this book completely fail to provide any information on where you will find the grammar you are studying. Some of the grammatical expressions in book, you will never hear in a conversation and others are restricted to movie subtitles. So if you use this book without being critical you will end up with an understandable and grammatically correct but extremely odd Japanese.

As I said earlier the Japanese used in subtitles is a category itself. "Subtitle Japanese" is a paradise for people who has used "A dictionary of basic Japanese grammar", but you will never hear it in daily life conversations.
So please be careful to use this great but dangerous book!

There is a bit of a myth about Japanese grammar--that it is too complicated, too alien for the non-native speaker to ever really master. This is a myth that many Japanese perpetuate themselves, seen in unflattering characterizations of non-native speakers, or in the (unhelpful) praise lavished upon anyone who can speak Japanese to any degree, no matter how ungrammatical it may be. This is a myth that is also unfortunately and unintentionally perpetuated by guides like Jorden's "Japanese the Spoken Language" that do the learner a disservice by explaining grammatical points in a language better suited for a linguist than a language learner. For people like you and me, who want to surpass these low expectations and confusing explanations and start on the road to true fluency, "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar" is an essential companion.

Let's face it--from the perspective of a native English speaker, mastering Japanese grammar is difficult. Very difficult. Don't trust anyone who says otherwise! Much is made of the difficult writing system, but mastering grammar is perhaps even more difficult and essential to smooth communication. Sure, learning the difference between "wa" and "ga" is not as sexy as learning how to write "love" or "raccoon dog" in kanji, but it's many times more useful on a daily basis. By providing easy-to-understand explanations as well as examples of both good and bad usage, the student is given a better understanding of basic (but still difficult-to-master) grammatical points. This dictionary does an especially good job of contrasting similar constructs that give beginning-to-intermediate (and even many advanced) students trouble (wa/ga, aida/uchi, ageru/kureru, hazu/beki, ni/de etc.)

Although I don't think it's possible to gain complete comfort and mastery of Japanese without living in Japan, or at the very least, interacting with Japanese people on a regular basis, this book is the perfect guide for explaining the nuances that a beginner might not notice, and an intermediate student might be aware of but not fully understand. This includes the deceptive "similar constructs" I mentioned before, words that are not easy to translate into English (sekkaku, darou come to mind), and other issues such as auxiliary verbs and onomatopoetic "sound words". Whether you're learning Japanese in school, living abroad in Japan, or even just studying on your own, "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar" is an indispensable companion for your studies.

One last comment--there are a few reviews that have comments along the lines of "yes, but the Japanese don't really talk like this" to which I say, "You're missing the point." That's a bit like arguing against learning multiplication tables because in the "real world" there are calculators. Sure it would be nice to go directly from "Please give me that pen" to "Hey man, can ya grab that pen over there for me?" but language learning isn't that easy. If you understand the fundamentals of grammar, you will understand Japanese of all formalities, dialects, and other variations and transmutations. It is much easier to learn the shortcuts once you have a strong foundation because you are in a position to understand the nuances and principles involved. In other words, you know and understand what exactly is being "shortcutted". If you only learn the shortcuts, you will have a hard time generalizing your knowledge for usage out of a narrow, specific context. Worse, you might not even realize that you are even making a grammatical or etiquette mistake by misapplying knowledge from one context to another. The worst thing a language learner can do is to try to take shortcuts to "speed up" his or her progress without taking the time to build up a steady base. This dictionary provides that strong foundation that is needed for the serious Japanese language learner.