5 comments about Learning Chinese The Easy Way: Read & Understand The Symbols of Chinese Culture.

1. Sam Song has provided a wonderful book which describes in an easy to follow manner a very logical technique for learning Chinese characters and a way of "putting it all together" to read Chinese. The first thing to remember is that it is necessary to write down each character and practice writing it many times, as often as fifteen times to train the mind to recall the symbol and its meaning. The author uses a technique called progression which takes an ordinairy picture and through a few modifications it is altered to become the Chinese character. Using this pictorial version, the reader is able to associate the Chinese symbol with the word which it represents. Chinese writing is a beautiful art form and Sam Song has provided an enjoyable experience to reach the moment of "ah ha" where the reader awakens to the meaning of the word through symbols. At the end of the book are two short stories which the learner can actually read, having learned the symbols for the characters in this book. The author also demonstrates a sense of humor along with providing some interesting historical information while teaching Chinese characters.
   
   In this book, the author tells the reader that traditional Chinese writing is over 5,000 years old but the Chinese government in the 1950s decided to simplify some of the characters and use it as the official written Chinese language. Therefore, in China the "simplified" characters are used but in most places outside of China the "traditional Chinese" is in vogue. The good news is that 70% of the "simplified" Chinese characters are the same as the "traditonal" ones.
   
   First, the author provides the symbol he wishes to teach: for example, the word "watch". Next he provides an easily recognizable picture of an eye. Through progression the eye is slightly altered into a symbol which is again slightly modified and then viewed as an eye. Along with the eye, the author uses the picture of a hand and through some simple modifications, it is changed into the Chinese character for hand. The alterations and modifications provided by the author make sense and the characters come alive with meaning due to his explanations. This book is most highly recommended. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]



2. This is a great book it is really easy to learn to write Chinesse with this one I highly recromend



3. I am an adult and like to learn independently. Lately my passion has been learning Mandarin Chinese.
   At first I thought that I would focus only on listening and speaking (and using Pinyin), but friends advised me that my approach would only take me so far and that to truly advance in my studies, I'd have to learn to read the characters.
   
   I bought this and Sam Song's other book, The Fox and the Goat, on Amazon. The book and the download files that he makes available made learning a large number of characters relatively easy. It's a nice jump start to learning Mandarin.



4. I bought this book based on other peoples' reviews. This book really made me very excited about learning Chinese characters. It makes the learning process fun. You can learn to read two famous children's stories quickly and of course, you can download the audio (for free) to the stories to memorize the stories verbally. The book builds your confidence and aids you by reviewing the stories every few pages. Mr. Song came to meet me when I moved to Asia to assist me in my learning. He is a very nice person and he hand draws every one of the characters in the book. The whole process is very time-comsuming for him but he is passionate about teaching - he is currently finishing up yet another book - this one for parents and kids to work together in learning Mandarin. I started to take a Mandarin class daily to learn even more Mandarin. Thanks for inspiring me Mr. Song.
   By Dr. Pat



5. After several false starts in my studies, these books seem to be just what I need to learn characters. The books are so simple, almost too simple, with virtually no commentary or discussion. And each volume contains the same very brief introduction. However, rather than giving the impression something's missing, it soon becomes apparent that any more detail would detract from the experience. Sam Song should be locked in a room until he's written 10 books like this, at least, and if he could publish another highly simplified, friendly series on grammar, that would be extremely useful, too.
   
   The key here is that every lesson is reduced to its lowest common denominators, and it's a system that works. His methodology parallels my own (as a language teacher): simplify, and don't stop looking for ways to make seemingly strange ideas even easier to grasp. Perhaps, as he explains the evolution of a symbol, he could tell the reader why it lost its curves and was (sometimes) turned sideways. Knowing this would bridge the gap in the reader's mind between the original pictogram and the final form of the character.
   
   Chinese is the future, and Song's attempt to help demystify its script is more than welcome.

5 comments about The Rough Guide to Mandarin Chinese Dictionary Phrasebook 3 (Rough Guide Phrasebooks).

1. As with most of these books the print is small. There needs to be more English to PinYin translation of both words and phrases.



2. I chose the Rough Guide Chinese phrasebook because I prefer the Rough Guide country guides over others. The words and phrases organized by topics and situations are full of half-attempts at humor, but they aren't as useful as I'd hope for. Some important words - like dumplings/jiaozi - are missing from the dictionary section, but that's what you get with a pocket dictionary.



3. As the long 5 star review below tells you, this is an outstanding little book jam packed with info. The organization is superb, with almost nothing but useful phrases, each with characters and pinyin.
   
   EXCEPT the opening 28 pages, which SHOULD be some of the most useful! This opening section is organized by category (shopping, emergencies etc.) and, indeed, holds some of the key survival phrases you need (to be fair, most of the content can also be found in the alphabetical section). HOWEVER, inexplicably, this section has the pinyin in WHITE FONT on LIGHT BLUE BACKGROUND and LEAVES OUT the chinese characters!! Indeed, even under *perfect* light, I can hardly see the diacritical marks above the pinyin for certain words (they often look like a smudged dot). In other words, it's hard to read what the tone is of these sentences. Sure, if it's something simple like "jiu4ming4 -- 'help' " you'll likely be understood, but more complex sentences you just might find yourself very misunderstood.
   
   I cannot understand why these did this. In poor light you will find yourself straining just to read the pinyin, much less the tone marks.
   
   Now, the alphabetical section (the bulk of the book), has very crisp and clear font, black on white, and includes the characters. Why they didn't use this format for the opening section, I have no idea.
   
   That said, the book is fantastic. Buy it.



4. For travel to China this book is fine. I have used the Lonely Planet phrase books also and this differs in that Lonely Planet divides the phrase book into different situations. At the end there is a small dictionary. Rough Guide phrase books seem to have a short introduction to basic situations and then expanded dictionaries, that often have several dialogues included that would be useful when you look up the word. It also has the Mandarin characters next to the word or dialogue. We are spending two weeks in China and this seems fine. Trying to learn complete phrases hasn't worked too well for me. Mostly I need to look up words like beer, chicken, hot pot etc., try and pronounce them, and if they still can't understand, show the foreign words from the dictionary to the waiter...hotel people. As to whether the Rough Guide is better than Lonely Planet, I think if you are just on tour for a while either will help. As I said, I have used Lonely Planet in the past and thought I would try Rough Guide for Chinese Mandarin and also bought one for Japanese.



5. I found the book to be a great pocket size for taking with me without having to carry it in my hands. The book has a nice amount of words for translation, however it would be nice if it had a few more short common phrases such as: ice cream, or cut the grass, etc.

5 comments about Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary (English and Mandarin Chinese Edition).

1. Speak Mandarin Chinese For BeginnersThe Michel Thomas Method (8-CD Beginner's Program) ,Michel Thomas Method Speak Mandarin Chinese Advanced
   
   I am the author of the Michel Thomas courses to teach spoken Mandarin. In my time writing and teaching these courses I have acquired many resources to learn Chinese. This dictionary is one of my favorites.
   
   Rick Harbaugh, the author, began creating this work when he was studying economics in Taiwan many years ago. He subsequently continued his efforts when he returned to the States later on. He has spent quite a few years writing the dictionary and it really shows.
   
   There is really no other book like this for the foreign student. The more I use it the more am I in awe of Rick's labor and genius . This is the text that I and others who love Chinese cannot do without in our studies.
   
   The heart of the book is 182 base characters. Each of these has a branching chart attached to it which demonstrates the derivation of related characters. Besides being fascinating from a genealogical standpoint such an arrangement also is wonderful for the learner who can visually trace the development of each character.
   
   The characters are all shown in their original Traditional forms. However, any characters which have simplified forms are given in both versions.
   
   A caveat: the list of characters ( over 4,000) is by no means exhaustive. However, it will get you access to over 99% of currently written Chinese, which is not bad. There are other references for the additional characters such as classics like Matthew's. Unless you are working extensively with Classical Chinese texts this dictionary will fulfill most of your daily needs.
   
   The means of accessing the various characters ( over 20,000 words, characters, and phrases) is vast.
   
   You can do so via sounds using Han yu pin yin as well as Zhu yin fu hao ( bo po mo fo).
   
   In additon, there are several non-vocal methods such as stroke count, radicals and related character forms which help access.
   
   The book also contains a limited but very useful English-Chinese dictionary.
   
   Each entry contains a detailed explanation of the traditional meaning of each part of the character. The characters also are broken down into the meaning aspect as well as the phonetic part, where applicable.
   
   Incidentally, this text, is available on-line gratis. However, I just love having the volume in my hands.
   
   Some reviewers have mentioned the small size of some of the type. I use a magnifying glass for aid in distinguishing some of the smaller characters but, usually, this is not necessary. I must add that my vision is not what it used to be!
   
   It is only after one has been learning Chinese and characters for a while that the richness of this text becomes obvious. Then you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
   
   Last summer I went to Taiwan to do intensive Chinese studies.
   
   This was the number one book which I took along.



2. This book is absolutely amazing. If you are serious about learning chinese, and not just learning it for a course, make this your best friend. It makes learning characters a logical activity rather than wrote memorization. In my experience, it takes me longer to learn characters, but I remember them far longer and it is easy to recall them if you don't immediately recall it. Also, if you ever fall out of practice for a while, relearning the characters is a lot easier if you originally learnt them using a logical method rather than wrote memorization.
   
   How this book is organized: There is an entry for each character, and it gives you a nice way to remember it by breaking it down into components. I have read elsewhere that sometimes their breakdown is not the same as the historical origins. I personally don't really care, but this is something you might want to check out if the history of the characters is important to you.
   
   Oh, and for a preview of the book, check out [...]. The structure and contents of the book are exactly the same as the site, but it's nice to have a paper copy.



3. Hi Folks,
   
   I bought this 6 months back when I moved to China and it really is wonderful. It's well presented and has a terrific index so you can work your way thur the book very quickly.
   
   Ancient China: A Journey Back in Time (Lost Treasures of the Ancient World)
   
   Also, the binding is v strong so it will last. Useful if you plan to take it when travelling in China.
   
   Ivan



4. Like most people who have studied Chinese for any length of time, I A) own several dictionaries of Chinese, and B) still don't know many, many of the characters and words. Therefore it means a lot when I say that this is my favorite dictionary. I carried it almost everywhere when I lived in Taiwan and thumbed through it constantly.
   
   For a full preview see the website [...] which is essentially the on-line version of this dictionary.
   
   Other points to consider, first this is keyed to the traditional characters, and not the simplified. Therefore be a bit careful about purchase if you wish to study the simplified characters.
   
   Secondly, although if I could only have one dictionary with me, this would be it, I did use it in conjunction with a few other dictionaries when translating written texts. (IIRC, this one has about 5000 characters and many words. I have a different one which, I think, contains 8,000 characters and more words. I also used a chengyu. idiom dictionary.)
   
   No single volume can be the perfect Chinese language dictionary. The language is just too complex. However, if I could only have one, then this would be the one I would choose.



5. I took out 3 stars because: 1) Of more than 5000 characters in use, this genealogy only lays out perhaps 1000 pictographic explanations, most for traditional form of characters. The rest are simply and often incorrectly treated as pictophonetic characters (i.e., with one element indicating meaning and the other sound). 2) Many translations are close but inaccurate and some explanations are far-fetched. 3) Compared with other mnemonic tools, such as Hoenig's 2178 mnemonics or geniusChinese 5467 mnemonics, this one may be too technical for beginners or young learners.
   
   Two stars are given for its very good price (even free at its website) and excellent presentation of the genealogy.
   
   Although I only gave 2 stars, I still use it sometimes. The author did an excellent job at his time.

3 comments about My House (Berlitz Kids Lift-The-Flap Board Books) (Chinese Edition).

1. I thought this was a great book to help reinforce the common words for the everyday things found around the house. Lifting up the flaps made it even more fun!



2. I really like the beautiful colors and pictures.
   
   It's easy to learn the simple words in the book.
   
   I think many parents'd like to buy this book for children.
   
   
   Sam Song
   Author,
   Two Tigers - Learn Mandarin with great fun and joy!



3. My son enjoyed this book when he was in the stage of lift the flap books. The book takes you through different rooms of the house, e.g. living room, family room, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom. The pictures are colorful and the flaps are sturdy and can withstood a lot of yanking. This was a fun book to read to him, although having a CD accompany the book would have been helpful. (There is a website you can go to for proper pronounciation of the words, though)

5 comments about SPEAK E-Z CHINESE In Phonetic English.

1. This is a good book to learn the basics for travel. This is a difficult language but this book helped a lot.



2. I bought this book knowing the complaints about it. They're all accurate but it doesn't mean this book is useless. It is great for introducing one to slang and uncommon yet useful mandarin, which courses would not necessarily expose one to. Good for the intermediate or novice mandarin learner.



3. I have found it to be useful. I am using it to supplement my other language learning resources. Looking up words is quick and easy. The phonetic spelling works well. The pronunciations must be the official language dialect. My wife is Chinese and her version of words pronunciation differs slightly but she is able to understand my attempts.
   I wish it had more words. But you can't have everything. Good Book!



4. Helpful for those starting out or traveling. Some of the phonetic english is not(according to my tutor) in accord with Beijing mandarin pronunciation, but is passable if wanting to converse merely as a tourist.
   Does contain vulgar language, so those sensitive to this need to beware.



5. Ok, not great. I ended up buying the Lonely Planet phrasebook once I was already in China and found it more useful and better organized. While there's lots of useful information in Speak E-Z Chinese, it's not well organized (at least to me) and its medium text-book size makes it less practical to carry it around if you don't want to carry a bag compared with the pocket-sized phrasebooks. I dumped this book at the hotel and carried the Lonely Planet phrasebook in my back pocket or jacket pocket. However, others may find it more useful depending on their needs.

5 comments about Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (Modern Grammars).

1. First and foremost this is my very first review, I will try to review the books I buy more often.
   
   This book is of course as you can tell from all the reviews a good book on Chinese grammar. I really like how its composed and I think its a high quality book that most people will be happy with.
   
   p.s. I've been studying Mandarin for awhile.



2. This book is awesome. Purely awesome. It's easy to use. It's index is lush. Everything's well-organized. It's explanations are clear, concise, and thorough.
   
   It uses Simple AND Traditional Characters, along with Pinyin and English Translations
   
   I will warn you: You probably want a year of Chinese under your belt, maybe a little more! This is a reference book at heart, and it functions best if you've been exposed to Chinese in other formats first. This book is for the people who are learning Chinese by some other means, and need a better Grammar tool.
   
   If you have a question about Chinese Grammar- if you're struggling, knowing that you know all the correct words, and yet baffled as how to put them in the correct order- this book is for you.
   
   I've also used the workbook, and I will highly recommend that as well. You never really know grammar until you use it- and, well... there's your chance to use it!
   
   If you're hesitant about buying it, go find a nearby library that has it. Pour through its glorious pages. Know that you too can understand chinese grammar. And then buy it because the library wont let you check it out for long enough.
   
   /Every/ time I have a question about Chinese grammar, this book has been able to help me. And Chinese is so under-studied in the united states that really you can't find any of this information online- at least not like this. If you buy this book, you will not have wasted your money.
   
   For your info: I'm using this book alongside the New Practical Chinese Readers books. New Practical Chinese Readers are really good about vocab, native language, idiomatic expressions, etc, but the grammar they teach is very scattered and haphazard. You could never possibly locate a grammar rule in that book. This book fills that niche /perfectly/.



3. Like a previous reviewer, I had had the Schaums book earlier and left it in another state, so picked this up to replace it based on the positive reviews, along with the workbook. All in all, I'd have to say I liked the Schaums better because the chapters built on each other and the examples and questions were substantially more intense. This book takes the path of explaining each topic independently. However there's very little in terms of building up to something greater. You see something once, you see one or two example sentences, you do a couple trivial questions in the workbook, and then you never see it again. I found it hard to really remember much (and in general with foreign languages, find it hard to remember much) if there's not constant building, repetition, and review. Some people might like this format, but it wasn't to my liking.
   
   Personally I'd say the New Practical Chinese Reader series is the best, as it has grammar, vocab, and interesting dialogs to help you understand intuitively how the language is really used.



4. I've been studying Chinese for a few years in a once-a-week night school program at our high school. So, I'm not the most serious student; it is a hobby for me.
   
   This book is the best resource I've found for understanding Mandarin grammar. I refer to it constantly.
   
   That said, I have three minor gripes:
   
   1. Index
   
   The index is too short. Often, if you look up a Chinese word for a concept you will find an entry but the corresponding English word for the concept is not listed. The simple truth is that the index is not sufficient for beginning students who don't know enough to use the precisely correct Chinese word for what they seek. I presume that advanced students would have no problem with the index.
   
   
   2. Typography
   
   Pinyin text is boldfaced and I find this very distracting as I read. The boldface type of the Pinyin just grabs my attention away from the characters. I wish that the author had used a different typeface or italics for the Pinyin so that it doesn't stand out so much.
   
   
   3. (Paperback) Binding
   
   This is a reference book and as such the binding should stand up to repeated use over a long period of time. It doesn't. It is NOT a stitched binding, just glue holding the pages together. The glue cracks and the pages are not going to hold together for a long time. The binding for this book should be as durable as for a dictionary; it isn't. Yes, I could have bought the hardcover which presumably has a stitched binding. (I've never seen the hardcover book so I don't know what kind of binding it has.) But the cost of the hardcover was just too much for me, especially since I didn't know anything about the paperback binding.
   
   Overall, I give the book's content five stars and take one away for the poor binding and index.
   
   Hopefully, the author/publisher will address this shortcomings in a future edition.



5. To be honest, I must confess that, after reading the other customers' reviews, i found this book (as well as its exercise book) to be way below my expectations. It "explains" things in a very simple and undetailed way, at least for someone whose professional area is not linguistics. It introduces some new vocabulary while it tries to show you the grammatical rules of the language. That didn't help me, however, it just confused me more, as I had double work trying to figure out the new vocabulary and then trying to understand the Chinese Grammar (which, by the way, is not logical at all, at least to me). If you're a beginner in Mandarin, like I was, try to get a less complicated book. This one really didn't help me.

5 comments about Journey to the West (4-Volume Boxed Set).

1. Delivery speed was ok. Shipping rate was great considering the size and weight of this book collection. Books quality is as expected for paper edition.



2. I ordered this product around Christmas time, and it was intended to be a present for a friend. Unfortunately, the order became lost in the mail. I contacted Amazon with questions and options on what I could do to still receive this book set, and I received a prompt reply. The representative was very cooperative and friendly. A new box set was sent out soon after communications, and that set was received within a week.
   
   Thanks for the great books, everyone! My friend is loving them.



3. I have read the series at least three times. Very fun. Very addictive series. This series gives you a very fun look into ancient Chinese culture and mind-set.



4. One of the best books I've ever read. I got hooked to the book the monment I read the first 3 pages.



5. For any translated work, reader should own 2 for parallel reading, and this one is a direct translation. The author uses split-character method to create 4 main characters: Master, Monkey, Pig and Sandy. that actually one person that holds all these character on a struggling road for good. Master fears, Monkey dares, Pig lusts, Sandy dumb, of course each one holds more related natures not to mention, I hate many critics state that Sandy is not fully developed, that's exactly such person, that we may find him at our work place and in government office too. And another things, a reader may find out that those road blocks, demons and monsters are actually closely related to many gods, sages, and even Buddhas' their family, servants, or weaponary or item which their belongings that cause all the troubles for the 4 and the common people on earth. True, Wu Kong wants to be great, he is great; San Zang wants to get all wisdom scroll for his nation (people), even the gods support them, but who are truly blocking them to do so? This is not only satire to religion and government, it reaches deeper and much farther than To the West. It is a journey or reflection that author carries us to experience and each reflection after beating away a demon, and at last even Buddha calls a storm to sink some of their scrolls. Just look around company, society, government, or even religious institute, or any institute, as long as one who recognizes himself in it and strives for good, then he may obtain the experience and nature of the 4 main characters, and he would also discover all the gods and demons: jade emperor, Guan Yi, White Bone Fairy.... Welcome the Journey to the West, it's better than Disney world, coz this mythical world is 100% real
   :-)

5 comments about Mandarin Chinese-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (Visual Dictionaries).

1. Lots of language learners are wondering how to memorize new words. Especially for Chinese. If you knew that Chinese Characters partly originally from pics then you should know that visual dictionary could be the best way to learn Chinese words. This one is portable with delicate printing paper and very easy to find words you want to look up.



2. It is true that this dictionary has good high quality pictures, and it defines a wide variety of words in Chinese and English. However, when attempting to apply the gigantic vocabulary in this book, you begin to wonder how much of it you can actually use.
   
   If China was exactly the same as the western world, then this dictionary would be applicable, but I hardly expect the average Chinese person to know what I mean when I say I want a Kaiser Roll or Croissant whether or not I speak in Chinese. This book skips over words that define daily life IN CHINA, and instead defines Europe and the Americas in Chinese.
   
   Thus, I say this book is great for Chinese people learning English, but not English speakers learning Chinese.



3. I find this book very useful because it provides English, pin yin and chinese characters.
   
   The grouping of words is also helpful because the categories facilitate sentence formation and attempts to make conversaton.



4. I love this book. Or, more accurately, I should say, my WIFE loves this book! Here's why: My wife is Chinese (I am American), and she is learning to speak English. So, we are, essentially, using this book "in reverse!" Since she will be coming to America soon, all of the pictures and items are those that she will be using/seeing here in America, instead of in her native China! This is helping her familiarize herself with the "Western world" in addition to simply learning the language. If I had one concern, it would be that the index in the back only lists the words in English, and does not have a corresponding Mandarin or Pinyin index - but that's minor. I would highly recommend this book if you happen to be in a similar situation, or have a friend or companion who is Chinese and is attempting to learn English!



5. Excellent book! Very, very interesting for those who are learning Chinese or even for those who likes to learn Chinese!

5 comments about Three Kingdoms: Chinese Classics (Classic Novel in 4-Volumes) (No. 1-4).

1. This is an amazing historic, literary work. It is similar to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (Based on history, but has many fictitious moments). This is my personal favorite set of books. I chose my major because of this work. Moss Roberts does a fantastic translation of a literary work that has helped shape China. The book opens with Liu Xuande (Liu Bei), Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei declaring their brotherhood. This work flows with strategy, both militaristic and political with many vying for power, with an unlikely force winning. In the end, the shadows are the way to gain overall power. This set comes with 2 books, with the first having a green cover and no real extras, and the second has a blue cover, with the conclusion and many extras, including definitions of titles, places, etc. Notes are also contained within the second volume, which greatly help in understanding the flow and historical background of the work, and a chronology of events is also placed in the second volume, with many other extras also included. Overall, an amazing translation of an amazing historic, literary work.



2. seller worked with me in a calm and speedy manner while thanksgiving was going on to resolve a shipping issue. product arrived very fast and in great condition.



3. I just want to offer my opinion about this edition (the 4 volume box set printed in 1994 [I believe it is 1994]). The story itself is a fantastic, engaging read. The language is fluid and I am finding that it is a lot less dry than I expected and so it is very easy to get through the book.
   
   Deciding which edition to purchase was my biggest problem, but so far, I have no issues with this one. While I read some reviews about spelling errors--and indeed they do exist--they are not at all frequent and detract little from the story. I also read that the characters names occur in three forms, creating much confusion. Again, I find this to be untrue. In fact, the narrative will often clearify who is who for the reader so you are not pondering over names the whole time. Sometimes a character will be referred to in their style. I don't know what that means in Chinese (it's probally in the footnotes somewhere), but the style is seperate from the surname and given name. Most characters styles are never used, except upon introduction, so it's no issue.
   
   My advice to the reader who has never encountered the story (I have played the games and done some preliminary research on the era) is to read up a little on the history of the time. Start with the end of the Han through the Three Kingdoms period and this will at least give you a foundation for what is going on. It will also familiarize you with some of the names and the important players who ruled at this time.
   
   The only thing this edition could use are some good maps. Being that it is a box set, a few seperate inserts that can be referanced along side the books would be great, but they dont have them, so what can you do.
   
   Overall, I am not at all dissapointed and highly recommend the Chinese Classics edition for the serious reader.



4. The delivery was pretty speedy. Little damage to the side of the book I would have preferred it to be shipped in a box instead of a bag but got here fine with minimum damage.



5. I bought Volume I thinking that I'd see if I liked the book before I committed to the massive whole. I figured that if they sold it separately in multiple volumes, it's meant to be owned and read in chunks. It was sitting on my shelf for months until I had the time after I finished Tale of Genji, which I purchased at the same time. When I finally started into it, I was first confused then upset that these highly-touted explanatory notes were nowhere to be found!!! I can only assume they are provided at the end of the third and final volume, which isn't even available (new) by Amazon! And now I can't even return it because it's well after the return date has expired.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar (Schaum's Outline Series).

1. A very good grammar book for an unbeatable price. Practical and broad in scope, with exercises and examples in pinyin, traditional, and simplified characters. I have gotten more use of this grammar gem over the years than other chinese grammar books that cost 4x more.
   
   The main drawback is that the formatting is not the best. Little use of whitespace between sections, and subheadings that don't always stand out, make it a challenge to scan for information.
   
   If you are willing to spend a bit more, I highly recommend Claudia Ross' most recent work: Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar (Modern Grammars) and Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook (Modern Grammars). This set presents the content of 'Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar', and much more, in a more organized, logical and thorough manner.



2. The book uses simplified as well as traditional characters. I use it as a supplement to "Practical Audio-Visual Chinese" which is an outstanding text book.



3. The seller in question is a very responsive and friendly one. The book I received in a perfect condition even though it was advertised, on Amazon, as a used one, very fast, and what I am pleased especially - I received a friendly message from the seller with a high concern that its customer be satisfied. This seller can be trusted.



4. One of the most easiest and best Chinese grammar!!!
   Highly recommended by me!
   Easy to use, easy to pronounce, easy to handle!
   What more can I ask for about it?!



5. Great book- good explanations with good examples and exercises.
   One thing that is missing is the "Table of Contents"!!! I don't understand why...