3 comments about Beginner's Icelandic (Hippocrene Beginner's).

1. Finally! I've been waiting for this book forever--Hippocrene really took their time with this one (from announcement to date of release). Let me start by saying that I have not worked through this entire book yet (I haven't had it that long). So, my review will just give you a general overview of what to expect.
   
   Beginner's Icelandic conforms to Hippocrene's `Beginner Series' (the newer ones) format, which has been quite good, in my opinion. It is similar in form (and pedagogy) to Beginner's Norwegian, Beginner's Swedish, and Beginner's Danish.
   
   You get the book and two CD's. The book has a brief cultural intro, pronunciation guide, 14 lessons, a two-way glossary, and a CD track list. The lessons generally consist of two dialogs, a vocabulary list, a phrase list, a grammar/structure/function section, and a few exercises.
   
   The dialogs are FULLY transcribed into English (thank you, Hippocrene!), which saves so much time (not having to thumb back and forth from dictionary to dialog). The vocabulary lists could have been typeset into columns a bit better, but at least they are there! For a beginner's book, the grammar sections look to be a substantial intro to Icelandic's quite formidable grammar, but primarily stick with present tense on the verbs. As is the case with most all language books published within the last 20 years, the exercises are a bit skimpy, but they look to be good solid drilling rather than the `fluff' that many texts attempt to pass off as practice these days.
   
   The CD's have an extensive intro to the alphabet, diphthongs, pronunciation of vowels, double consonants, stress, and length of vowels. Good stuff. After these guides, there is very little wasted time in English. You get the dialogs (full speed, then slower speed on some), and the vocabulary/expression lists. There are probably some dialogs skipped somewhere along the way (I've noticed this on other Beginner's Series CD's) to keep it down to two CD's. But what is there is great--good quality audio, clear speaking, no distracting background noise, and fairly pleasant voices.
   
   As for Icelandic: although it's a member of the North Germanic family along with Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Faroese, etc, and although you hear that `North Germanic' sound to an extent, it is quite a bit more `exotic' sounding than its cousins. It brings to mind a touch of the sounds of Irish Gaelic and Russian. To me, Icelandic is one of the most beautiful languages, if not the most beautiful (of any I've heard). On the other hand, Icelandic grammar is significantly more difficult than it's cousin languages, so be prepared for that.
   
   As I get further into the book (I'm polishing my Norwegian right now) I will add to this review any annoying tendencies that present themselves. But, truthfully, it looks to be a good solid introduction from what I've seen so far... provided you are willing to put in the study time--and you WILL need to put in study time with Icelandic. :-) Good luck with this beautiful language!



2. I'm only about halfway through this--I just started on the second CD today. I would heartily second the other reviewer's comments. The book is well-structured, and introduces the tricky Icelandic grammar in small bites so it isn't overwhelming. I, too, would like more exercises, but that seems to be the modern method. Older books I've seen have LOTS of exercises, but no answer key, which kind of defeats the purpose unless you're in a class.
   
   Pronunciation is a real issue in Icelandic. It's not at all intuitive ('á' is pronounced 'ow', while 'au' is pronounced 'oy', just to give you an idea). So I find myself going back to the first CD over and over, just to listen.
   
   The dialogs are more entertaining than is often the case, with a sort of story being played out. And yes, a couple of the chapters have two dialogs, and the second one is never on the recording. But any new words are included in the recording of the vocab list.
   
   This is a good, solid introduction to Icelandic. You won't achieve full fluency, but you can't really expect that in 14 lessons, now, can you?



3. I agree with the other reviewers for the most part. Yes, more exercises would benefit this particular title. Icelandic is a very conservative language, linguistically speaking - very archaic. Grammar drills are very important, and I have made it a practice, when learning languages like Icelandic, to develop my own drills. Continuous practice in drilling the noun, adjective, and verbal patterns is a must in order to conjugate verbs and decline nouns quickly and accurately when speaking. The main disappointment I had with this book is that it doesn't teach the past tense of verbs. This little bit of information is only cited in the beginning of the book near the end of the introduction. While it does have some instances of past tense sentences, it was intentionally not included as part of the course. So, if you're speaking of the future or present. If you want to talk about the past, perhaps some creativity will be required.

5 comments about Swedish, Compact: Learn to Speak and Understand Swedish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur).

1. The Pimsleur method is great for learning the basics and sounds of a language. You very quickly learn to say and understand a few things. It feels amazing at first how quickly things start to fall into place. It is good for working on your pronunciation. But... it really doesn't go far enough. In only 10 lessons, you really can't learn enough. This course teaches you how to ask someone if they understand English, how to ask how someone is and how to respond, how to ask where something is (and understand the answer only if it is "here" or "over there"), and then mostly goes on about saying you'd like to have something to eat or drink, when, where and with whom. Finally they teach how to ask what time it is. It oddly teaches the numbers up to 9, except 6 and 7, so you can only understand some of the answers (and only if it's right on the hour). It kind of felt like it was aimed at teaching you to pick up a member of the opposite sex. Perhaps they think that that is the primary reason why someone would bother to learn Swedish, since almost all Swedes speak English very well. ;-)
   
   It includes some very basic reading instruction/practice, which I thought was a good complement. It gives you a basic idea how to pronounce things you might see written down (such as a street name, the name of your hotel, etc.) Reading Swedish is tough for Anglophones, as the vowel sounds are all quite different. They do a decent job of explaining when one vowel might have two different sounds, though I did not find that I got enough practice to really remember it all.
   
   I think that Rosetta Stone makes a good complement to Pimsleur. It adds a fair bit of vocabulary, but it is nowhere near as good as Pimsleur at really testing your knowledge and helping you to remember things. I'm still working my way through Rosetta Stone, but I feel like I'm only remembering a small percentage of what I learn. Because you answer everything in RS via multiple choice, it is easy to get the right answer without really knowing what the words mean.
   
   Overall, I would suggest Pimsleur to any complete beginner at Swedish. It is a great way to get started, though it won't get you very far. I might also suggest that you look at the reviews of the 2003 version of this product, which I believe is nearly identical (but way more expensive), and has a lot more reviews.



2. This is the best language tool i've tried. The pace is much slower than other programs so its easy to absorb the material. The conversation is also much more relevant. Very happy with it



3. I'm totally new to Swedish, so I used these CDs to get me started on the language. I listened to them on my way to work every day and learned a lot quickly. My favorite aspects of the teaching technique are the repetition of phrases, the breakdown of words, and the interactive style of the lessons. It feels like you have a personal Swedish tutor working with you one on one. I supplement with Rosetta Stones, which helps build vocabulary, but this program really helps you learn to speak quickly. I recommend this product for beginners.



4. Spoken Swedish isn't rocket science. It's a living language with ancient roots. Like learning about new people, there's no quick fix for learning languages. It takes time. Lots of it. Listening well, speaking back. Repetition. No way you can learn an entire language in just a few hours.
   So - why am I recommending this set? Well, I'm a linguist. I can get by in most of the countries on this planet. "Get by" being the operative phrase here.
   This set lets you have an authentic taste of a foreign language - maybe 50 words by the end (plus or minus, don't quote me), and phrases to go with them. That's almost enough to get by, certainly enough to let you know whether or not you want to continue learning that language to its next level.
   I've purchased Pimsleur exclusively for this purpose. I've had a glimpse into several languages, Spanish before this latest one. And even after just those first 6 CDs, my Spanish has been enough to astound my housekeeper, who was totally shocked, and then insisted that I must have been taking many lessons without telling her. Well, I was. On my car CD during commutes.
   Can't wait until I meet someone from Sweden.



5. So far, it's been a great buy. The lessons are fun and easy. I feel like I am learning and more importantly remembering what I've learned. Some of the conversations aren't that practical, but they are not as bad as other reviewers have made them out to be.

5 comments about Norwegian-English Dictionary: A Pronouncing and Translating Dictionary of Modern Norwegian (Bokmal and Nynorsk) with a Historical and Grammatical Introduction.

1. The Norwegian to English Dictionary by Einar Haugen was everything I needed and asked for, and at the right price, with superbly prompt shipping. Haugen is world renowned for this dictionary; the ONLY drawback is that it is not English to Norwegian as well, but Einar Haugen produces the most and best examples of the word(s) used in context of any other editor, an absolute must for English speaking folks learning Norwegian.



2. The dictionary is excellent but it was very late in delivery. I emailed the source 3 times and finally got the product about 4 weeks after it was supposedly mailed.



3. I got this book because of all the positive reviews. For those who are just starting with the language, I would say get another dictionary (or online service) with English to Norwegian translations so that you can cross reference and move about more easily in this book. This will get you deeper into the specifics of the words you need as you plow through this Norwegian to English book. This book is well done and a great reference, but for me, it would be a much better reference tool to be English to Norwegian, to be a physically bigger book - the font size will make you search for your glasses, a magnifying glass and a really strong light after longer periods of use, and to lay out the definitions and phrase variations a little more cleanly. It's easy to get lost in the long lists of some of the common derivations of a word. If you need Norwegian language reference tools, this is the one to get, but be prepared to dig and scrape and to cross reference with another source so you can be sure you actually have the word you intended.



4. Do not hesitate to buy it. It is just perfect. No need to say anything else.



5. This Dictionary is complete and clearly defines the two languages of Bokmal and Nynorsk. It was recommended by my language instructor as the Dictionary to have in my library.

5 comments about NORWEGIAN in 10 minutes a day® with CD-ROM.

1. Has stickers for putting around the house. Practical when you want to learn the language fast.



2. This book could be good for a very new learner, but I think you could get more out of a travel pocket guide. The Cd is a waste of time, you just move around labels but dont fill in anything or utilize your actual memory, it's more guessing. The stickers do not stick to anything well, not even paper but especially not my cat or my dog which they have stickers for, rediculously enough. They even said "Get creative" and if I stuck it to my milk or my oil, I guess that only gives two weeks to memorize it, which I could do without the stickers. Where do you stick "How are you?" I question some of the pronounciations as I have been to Norway and pronounce kj more sh/ch than hy. So i'm definitely not at all impressed, I'd also recommend studying more than ten minutes to learn any language seriously.



3. I am enjoying learning Norwegian in my own home. It's easy and soon I will be able to have a conversation with my family in Norway.



4. I bought this book two months ago and have enjoyed it. As the structure is very similar to english, i have picked up quite a bit. I am not a native speaker...Spanish being my 1st language. This book is good for beginners as it takes you thru the basics with fun pictures, stickers, and cards. My next move is to get a CD with pronunciation in it as i need to practice that part. The CD that came with the book is okay and helped a bit but I will need to get something more robust if i want to have an intelligent conversation in Norwegian. Otherwise, the book is great to start. Makes learning the basics easy and fun.



5. This book is just what I was looking for. I am so glad I purchased it.

5 comments about Norwegian Verbs And Essentials of Grammar.

1. I enjyed stydying norwegian because i have this close to norway and the people. The book showed me more and more about norwegian, I do recommend for this book for whom wants to be an excillent norwegian speaker!



2. I was very pleased with this book. It was well organized and it included all the important rules of Norwegian grammer. Definitely recommended.



3. This is a wonderful reference tool. It's very understandable, well layed out with many good examples of grammar usage. This book is a great supplement for classroom or self study.



4. Okay... so if your "learning" style consists only of popping a CD in and listening while you paint your toenails or watch a football game (and you have an extra 8 to 10 years to learn a language in this fashion), this is not the book for you!
   
   However, if you're not a fan of the so-called "modern" approach, and if you are not afraid to think, and if you believe that learning a language actually takes effort on your part, and if you would like to really get to know the language and how it functions, and if you would like to speak/write with your own sentences (that you made up all by yourself!!!)... well, great! This is a WONDERFUL book for you.
   
   Unfortunately, the modern trend in language learning is to treat us all like children. We are not children, and many of us don't want to spend the eight years or so which it takes to reach proficiency using that approach. This book will bridge the gap and give you the details/structure that most of the other course books are afraid to include. It's very organized. And even better, it doesn't get carried away with minute detail as some grammar books tend to do. At the same time, it is thorough enough so that you won't have a bunch of unanswered questions and incomplete concepts. It's a very logical progression and there are plenty of examples.
   
   You know, if this book had vocabulary lists with recorded pronunciation, lots of written exercises/translations, about 10 CD's of realistic/native spoken dialog with transcription, oral repetition/exercises, and a good Leitner-System-based flash card software application... well, wouldn't life be grand? (dream on)



5. The idea behind this book is good, as well as its structure. It packs a punch information wise, compared to its size and price.
   
   It is, however, NOT a good book. It seems to have been compiled in haste, and the result is that it's crammed full of errors. Some are not very serious, simply sentences that, although gramtically correct, are put in a way no Norwegian would ever put it. The list of verbs also include strange forms that I have never encountered, and I have read a lot more words than the average Norwegian. Learning something that might be correct by the dictionary, but that 99% of Norwegians themselves would take as an error, is really worse than a waste of time. (To its credit, it doesn't push the outdated De-form, which some books still do, decades after its use ended.)
   
   Many others mistakes include clear cut errors and misspellings, I have counted many dozens - far, far to many for a book this size.
   
   98% of the content is correct. Still, learning a a language from scratch is hard work, and I for one would find it very annoying to spend time getting confused and misinformed because nobody bothered to get this book proof read. Also, it is clear that the author does not have a "native feel" for the language.
   
   I've found clear cut Norwegian language errors on pages 27, 28, 42, 43, 44, 61, 66, 74, 78, 79, 80, 94, 97, 102, 104, 105, 112, 113, 114, 115 and 125, as well as half-errors/unnatural language on pages 32, 46, 52, 60, 62, 69, 70, 71, 72, 78, 82, 106, 107, 116, 118, 120, 122, 123. And this doesn't even include the verbs at the end. The explanatory texts are generally in better shape than the examples.
   
   For the record, I am a native Norwegian who writes for a living.

5 comments about 201 Swedish Verbs (201 verbs series).

1. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning Swedish. The authors do a wonderful job in explaining different aspects of swedish verbs and their declensions. Also, the part on strong verbs is excellent. Instead of telling you to memorize a bunch of rules, they help you see the pattern. They also do well explaining archaic verb forms, which is good for anyone who wants to read older historical texts and maybe even family relics from a century ago. This is a great book and you won't regret getting it!



2. Of course, who could live without this book while studying Swedish? Full conj and everything! The only issue I have with this book is that there are only 201 and not 501 verbs like in the other books by Barrons.



3. This is the only Swedish verb book similar to the 501 series (except this is a 201, or course) on Swedish verbs that I have been able to find. It is a very helpful book for Swedish. I recommend any new student of Swedish buy this with the Essentials of Swedish Grammar book by Passport Books (NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group). Simply great. This helped me a lot.



4. As above this book is really very useful. It was exactly what I was searching for.
   It would have been better if it contained more than 201 verbs.



5. I purchased this booking thinking it would give me a good overview of Swedish verbs. It's a good book but way to complicated, especially if you are a beginner. I recommend getting the book called 2,000 Common Swedish Verbs, by David Hensleigh. This book is easy and has more verbs. If you have ever taken a professional Swedish class it is in the same format that the teachers want to see you put your verbs.

5 comments about Beginner's Norwegian with 2 Audio CDs.

1. This is the best beginners' language book I have ever found in any language. I like to learn a little of the language before I visit a country, and since I travel frequently, I have a lot of experience with beginning language books. I spent a month with this book before going to Norway. The lessons were enjoyable and well-presented. I was amazed how much grammar and vocabulary I could absorb in so little time. When I got to Norway, I was able to speak and understand a wide variety of phrases.



2. This is an excellent book for learning beginning Norwegian. It goes thru the lesson at regular speaking pace then repeats allowing time for the student to say the sentence. Then reviews words and phrases. I find it an excellent suppliment to go along with the once a week language class I am taking.



3. I recently reviewed the Teach Yourself Norwegian course/book, and would like to now review the Beginner's Norwegian book/CD's and make some comparisons. In the other review (Teach Yourself), I mentioned that it was my favorite of the Norwegian books I use. This is true, but Beginner's Norwegian is an excellent book and in some ways superior to TY (Teach Yourself Norwegian). I'll also briefly mention the Colloquial Norwegian book here, as well.
   
   Let me start with the superior points of this book:
   
   * If your learning style tends to be visual (meaning: written word) and/or analytical, and you like to see things organized and categorized, you are in for a pleasant surprise here. This book is better organized than other Norwegian courses. Hippocrene has done a magnificent job with their recently published Beginner's Series books (the Danish course is organized in the same way as the Norwegian book).
   
   * Each chapter starts out with a dialog. On the facing pages, there is a complete translation in English. TY does not have this translation (it only has a list of new words presented in the dialog). TY forces you to thumb back to the glossary if you forget a word. I don't want to debate whether, pedagogically, this is good or bad. But I will say that having the translation right there with the dialog saves a LOT of time that would be otherwise wasted flipping back and forth to a glossary--time that could have been spent drilling words with flash cards, which is far more efficient than looking words up in a glossary. You are either going to learn a word or not--having to flip back to a glossary will not help you learn it any faster, it will only waste time and cause frustration. Thank you Hippocrene for providing full translations.
   
   * On the CD, the dialog is spoken at normal speed and then it goes through the whole thing again, slower and with pauses to repeat it. Very nice.
   
   * Each chapter contains a vocabulary list of manageable size and also gives the written approximate English (US) pronunciation. I know many people think this is a bad thing, but I don't. You will not be pronouncing words as English once you have the sounds of Norwegian in your head--the reason I like this feature is that it's invaluable for showing you which letters are silent or pronounced non-phonetically until you are able to remember them on your own. If you start out pronouncing a "t" or "r" that isn't supposed to be sounded, it's hard to break the habit. The written pronunciation helps with this a lot. And if you are just learning pronunciation from the Norwegian spelling, good luck. It isn't as phonetic as it's cracked up to be. Things won't go so well for you at times.
   
   * This book tends to have more exercises than the others--still not enough, but better than most.
   
   What is perhaps not as good about this book?
   
   Well, you will get a more rigorous treatment in the TY book--I'm not sure if that's good or bad because, at times, the Teach Yourself book tends to be a bit overwhelming (at least for me)--mostly with the vast amounts of vocabulary thrown out. I've had to stop, back up, take a deep breath, and relearn vocabulary several times with TY. So with Beginner's Norwegian you will not get as many vocabulary words (or as much grammar) in any given chapter. But, really, I almost think that's good. You get less, but it's drilled into you more completely. I do think that the TY does a bit better with the grammar, though. And TY is definitely more entertaining (the CD and dialogs). Then again, I don't know if that really means anything when it comes to learning a language.
   
   Probably your best bet is to work through both Beginner's Norwegian and TY if you have the time. Then there is Colloquial Norwegian. This is an okay book. I like the varied dialects on the CDs, but truthfully, the presentation in the book is a bit scatter-brained. It's not horrible, but both TY and Beginner's Norwegian are far better organized.
   
   Now for the big question: If you were to buy just one of the books, which would it be???
   
   That depends. If you want the path of learning Norwegian to be a smoother one from the start, I'd say go for Beginner's Norwegian. It's a great book. If you are up for some frustration along the way and are willing to deal with a lack of practice problems (meaning you have to be creative to find your own ways of drilling yourself), go with TY. You'll have at least double the amount of vocabulary and a more complete picture of the grammar when you are done.
   
   But still... bottom line if you're serious: get both and maybe go through Beginner's Norwegian first, then TY. Or you could even get all three (along with Janus's Norwegian Verbs & Essentials of Grammar).



4. For those who prefer memorization learning of grammar, syntax, and useful phrases over more recent teaching methods, Hippocrene's "Beginner's Norwegian" will be of assistance. This package include synchronized lesson plans and two audio disks for beginners in Norwegian.
   
   The lessons build rapidly from basic phrases to social niceties and more practical matters such as ordering meals and shopping through being able to travel around Norway. The dedicated student should emerge from this self-paced course with a survival level of Norwegian for touristing. The good news is that although many Norwegians speak good to excellent English, they are apt to respond very positively to a visitor who is prepared to meet them halfway with basic Norwegian language skills.
   
   This course in beginner's Norwegian is highly recommended to those with the self-discipline to teach themselves, with a little help.



5. I liked this book and CDs very much. I consider it an excellent help in my study for the language because it contains lively conversations and this is what I need in the stage that I am now. The only thing is that I wouldn't recommend it for the complete beginner who studies by himself. I would suggest that you start with a simpler course to learn the first words and phrases. This introductory material you can find in several sites on the Internet. But after that very first stage, get this book. It is live and real language that you will find in it.

5 comments about Universal Dictionary Swedish: Swedish-english / English-swedish (Langenscheidt Universal).

1. This dictionary has a decent word selection for everyday use. The mini grammar with irregular verb lists in the back is a helpful reference.
   
   The biggest downfall is that English word pronunciations are shown straightforwardly in the IPA scheme, but Swedish word pronunciations are not. Instead they are shown in a more difficult scheme using Standard British with some consideration given to General American pronunciation; this scheme is not fully explained. IPA for both would seem to be the obvious choice since it is precise and can be explained easily for both major dialects.



2. This pocket dictionary is just the thing for travel but also can be used for studying Swedish when waiting in traffic, a doctor's office, etc. The mini grammar in the back gives one much to chew on, and the basic phrases are always good for review. I like the blue print, and the handy blue line between Swedish-English and English-Swedish. Don't expect the book to have all the words you need - otherwise it wouldn't be such a neat little size. Thanks to the conversion tables on the back page, you can even convert Centigrade to Fahrenheit. What more can you want?



3. This is a much needed dictionary. However, as someone else said, there needs to be a bigger dictionary for office use and school. This company is famous for publishing very good dictionaries. One important feature of the dictionary is the fact that it mentions whether a word is "common" or "neutral" [meaning whether it is an "en" word or an "ett" word].I did not find this very important feature in other Swedish/English dictionaries (something which made them not very helpful).
   
   I hope Langenscheidt decides to publish a bigger dictionary of the same kind.
   
   By the way, the blue color words make it much easier to look for words.
   
   Thank you Langenscheidt Publishers for publishing great dictionaries.



4. This dictionary is a godsend. Before I had this I was stuck with using an online dictionary or the small dictionaries in the back of my grammar book. Now I can easily look up any word and fine the pronunciation with it too.



5. Content is good enough for everyday tasks, its plastic cover makes it durable and its size easy to carry everywhere

5 comments about Teach Yourself Norwegian Complete Course Package (Book + 2 CDs) (TY: Complete Courses).

1. I purchased this set before moving to Norway for a year, and it was incredibly helpful. When I was here for two months, I had people asking me why I could speak Norwegian and other Americans couldn't, and I said, well, I have a book and cds. The content was organized in a logical manner and the expressions and phrases were very very useful and practical. Unlike other foreign language packets, this one did not focus overmuch on travel expressions, aiming instead towards practical communication. The only thing I did not like was the lack of emphasis on learning grammar rules and structure; something I fine essential in a when learning a new tongue. However, it worked very well for me. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the language.



2. I think it's the best way to learn norwegian by yourself, and for a cheap price.
   
   The lessons are easy to understand and every unit ends with exercices to make sure you learned everything well.
   
   With the CDs, you'll get use to hear the Norwegian langage. Of course, they speak slower than norwegian people having a real conversation, but you are here to learn.



3. I bought teach yourself norwegian before taking a trip to Norway this last christmas. I also bought the teach yourself norwegian conversation CD package as well. It was not really what I expected but it has not been a bad book either. I would not recommend someone buying it brand new maybe used and if it were not too expensive it is a good source of help but I feel as though a true class would be 100% better than this book. I think if you have a lot of time to dedicate to this book it is okay. All of the narration is in a british accent and some of the slang is english as well. As someone with a norwegian significant other I have learned more from him than what this book has done for me.



4. I really enjoyed going through this book. It provides such an easy to follow structure, with a humorous at times story line. I'm not sure if the story line in the text is meant to be funny, but when it's talking about things like tossing back some beer and jumping on a motorcylce to then later get in a motorcycle accident. The structure of the book helped me to retain the information very well. Words are introduced and explained well in each chapter, and in later chapters the same words are brought up for review. I would recommend this book.



5. Got this as a gift for my husband who is learning Norwegian. He is very happy with it & said it has helped a lot. He started out with another set of computer discs for beginners but was ready to try a different one hoping it would be more challenging. He said this was a good choice & is doing well with it.

5 comments about Essentials of Swedish Grammar (English and Swedish Edition).

1. the book is very good .the meanings are easy for the foreigners and anyone can read it.in order to start learn Swedish you will nead this book one other for vocabulary and a cd for listenings.



2. This is the best Swedish grammar book out there. It is very concise, and skips all the nonsense and difficult to understand wording. It has everything you need to know, and is not a heavy, hard to handle book.
   
   I had the older version that my Uncle who married a Swedish woman gave me, and I loved it so much, but it was falling apart from his usage (which was many years ago), so I had to buy myself a new one and was so glad I did.
   
   Great great book.



3. I have studied many languages over the years and this is the best language reference book I've ever had. It is well organized, concise and easy to follow for beginners. I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to learn Swedish.



4. This book is a pretty good deal for the money, but it seems they tried to pack too much into a small space. Probably makes it a good guide book when traveling because of the size but they could have done much better in creating a comprehensive grammar book for a few more dollars. I would buy it again, but still looking for the mother of all grammar books. From the reviews here, I had thought I found it. It is the best in its price and sized, better than other "essential" grammar books in that category, which is why it is rated so highly.
   
   If you are thinking of investing in the much bally-hooed Rosetta Stone. Save your money.
   
   Rosetta Stone is a nice little "stone" in the building materials and tools of learning a language, but that's all it is, a rough stone at that. More like a glorified giant-sized Sesame Street language program for kids, but to say that is berating Sesame Street a bit, which does a much better job. You still very much need to use grammar books and dictionaries, lesson books, etc. if learning a language from "scratch" and while you are using Rosetta Stone. There are no language-specific built-in appendices, no dictionary, no language translation guides of any kind, no footnotes pointing out grammatical anomalies etc. (of which there are many in every language.)Nothing.
   
   There are just phrases in text accompanied by the audio (if you select audio accompaniment) in Swedish, to fit the pictures, and you have to guess, either, or, depending on your choice lesson. But none of these many preferences is more than just a quiz game. THERE ARE NO OTHER LEARNING TOOLS.
   
   It seems the creators/programmers of Rosetta Stone made the same basic program template of photo pictures for all language suites they sell, and they just changed the voice and text for the different languages. What a money-maker! And what a rip-off! I would bet they spent more on marketing Rosetta Stone than creating it.
   
   Check out my review on Rosetta Stone's Swedish package.



5. (written by my thirteen-year-old daughter)
   When I was 12 years old I decided that I wanted to learn Swedish. Since Swedish was going to be my first foreign language and I was learning it by myself, I figured that I should spend my money wisely and only buy a few items. Along with a Swedish-English/engelsk-svensk Dictionary and a book on conjugating Swedish verbs, I bought this. I'd say that if I had to choose only one of those three items to buy, it would be this one because it explained the grammar of all sorts in a manner that even a 12-year-old could understand.. When first I decided that I wanted to learn Swedish I read up on it and learned a bit about its rules. I was especially daunted by the prospect of learning the definite and plural forms of the word, which confused me to no end. However when I read this book I understood it perfectly, along with other things that confused me, like "rolig", "roligt", and "roliga", for example.
   I have had this book for a little over one year, and I have read it through, and still go back sometimes to refresh myself. I must say that I do not regret buying this book!
   (By the way, its size made it perfect for carrying around---many a morning before school I spent reading this book throughout last year.)
   My only woe is that they do not have the same book for Finnish..!