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Best Foreign Language Reference

GENKI I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese (English and Japanese Edition)
Second edition of the most highly regarded teaching text book on the Japanese language, covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing to cultivate overall language ability.
Reviews
"I moved to Japan about 10 months ago and I needed a textbook to learn the language. That's true of any textbook, but with Genki it's even more so because the authors don't hold your hand and the book is written with the assumption that you are serious about learning Japanese. There is much to be gleaned from both, though the "useful expressions" sections are usually outstanding and provide supplementary words and sentences on a variety of common topics, such as counting, classroom vocabulary, train station expressions and doctor office visits. Then there are a few pages of practice, in which you will write the kanji you learned alone and in compounds, read various letters or stories and answer questions. 4) Meet with my Japanese teacher and do the conversation exercises (took 2-4 hours of class time per lesson). I feel quite comfortable in stores, restaurants, train stations, post offices, and the like. I can talk, to a limited extent, about the weather, my childhood, my job, my future plans, my schedule for tomorrow, and other common topics. Anyone serious about studying Japanese will get a lot out of this book, provided he or she is willing to put in the necessary work!"
"Don't stress too much though because there are plenty of sites to practice, such as lang-8, a free site where you help Japanese people learn English and they help you with Japanese in terms of writing, reading and speaking. This Second Edition comes with a CD, updated lessons, simpler ways of explaining grammar, and much more. If your'e grasp on English grammar is poor, well you might need to dedicate more hours into grammar, because it is DIFFICULT if you don't know what certain things are."
"Great textbook but it is made for a classroom setting and has group activities so if you are am independent learner you have to do things a little differently."
"I started with "Japanese for Busy People", but then I started a class that used this book."
"Got what I wanted 100% has great lessons and I think im going to learn a lot with this!"
"The Romanization threw me off....so much in fact that I had to go learn katakana (I already knew hiragana) before I continued past chapter two of the textbook."
"Learned a lot but it can be confusing so it is best to have a teacher to guide you since there re times were a character is not pronounced as written such as with a silent vowel or character can be pronounced differently depending on the content."
"I'm trying to teach my teenage daughter Japanese and tried other books and CD's."
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The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World
Readers will find detailed information on fermenting vegetables; sugars into alcohol (meads, wines, and ciders); sour tonic beverages; milk; grains and starchy tubers; beers (and other grain-based alcoholic beverages); beans; seeds; nuts; fish; meat; and eggs, as well as growing mold cultures, using fermentation in agriculture, art, and energy production, and considerations for commercial enterprises. "Sandor Katz has captured the essence of fermentation in this new book, which bubbles over with scientific, historical, and practical information about humankind's first biotechnology and earth's first energy source. The mystery and sensory allure of naturally fermented products ranging from fruit, honey, milk, all manner of starchy grain, tuber and stalk--even fish and meat--are laid bare and enthusiastically and lucidly brought to life for both epicure and the do-at-homer." --Patrick E. McGovern, Scientific Director, Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania Museum, and author of Ancient Wine and Uncorking the Past. Based on theory, science, and practical observations, Sandor Katz casts thousands of dots onto the pages for us to connect with our own experiences and interests. Whether we are at war or peace with the tiny creatures we call microorganisms, we can't help but conclude that they are the building blocks of the communities we observe as organisms. Sandor Katz is the guru of a large and growing tribe of fermentation enthusiasts and this book will awaken you to the thrilling world of benign bacteria all around us. History, science, and simple how-to wisdom are woven together in this extensive journey through the amazing diversity of foods and beverages that are founded upon fermentation." It is also a declaration of independence from an economy that would much prefer we were all passive consumers of its commodities, rather than creators of unique products expressive of ourselves and the places where we live."
Reviews
"I really appreciate that he does so - it allows me to go back and check for new, updated research and expand my reading. He adamantly does not claim fermented foods area a panacea and is skeptical of some of the touted benefits of various foods (kombucha as a cure for diabetes, for example). He argues, quite successfully, that fermented foods have their place in a well balanced, healthy, diet and provides the studies, traditions, and first-hand knowledge that demonstrates why."
"You don't need to have read Katz' other work, Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods, to understand, appreciate, and use this book - it stands alone. As Michael Pollan states in the well-written foreword, this is not one of those cookbooks you buy for the nice pictures and keep on your coffee table. The first 67 pages are devoted entirely to the beginner, focusing not on specific recipes but on answering the inevitable questions: "WHY would I want to ferment food? Many of us are experimenters at heart, and fermentation is the perfect mix of art and science to tap into this nature and inspire all kinds of crazy projects. (Surprise: Katz doesn't buy into corn ethanol biofuels). While this is by no means a biology textbook, the scientific content is much improved over Wild Fermentation. Katz is not a formally-trained scientist, but he does not shy away from technical details when they are helpful for understanding, and he shows respect for the scientific method and its results. While some of my more imaginative fermentation adventures have yielded delicious results, a few have been downright terrible (yep, ate them anyway!). If you have some problem with the fact that Katz has HIV (he states this outright in the new book, and includes a sidebar about how fermented foods may be helpful but they are not a disease cure), do the rest of us a favor and keep it to yourself."
"For health reasons (we're not getting any younger) we started taking an active interest in food - both the quality of the food and the preparation practices. It was during that time I started hearing more and more about the benefits of fermentation of other foods - but frankly, not having grown up around anything remotely related to food preparation, I had no idea what was/wasn't fermented. I then bought the book and video set and several other books on fermentation...in fact, by this point, I probably own most of the major books about fermentation. The information expands upon the understanding of fermentation in a dramatic way. Now, if you are just wanting an introduction to fermentation with a few quick and easy recipes' and examples, the older books by Katz are probably still your best choice. Existing fermentation fans will ABSOLUTELY want to purchase this new book for the expanded knowledge, information and insight."
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Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook I [Second Edition] (Japanese Edition) (Japanese and English Edition)
Second edition of the most highly regarded teaching text book on the Japanese language.
Reviews
"I am still using it even after class is over because we only covered the first 4 chapters, so lessons can be continued after class."
"it is very easy to understand, and with a "listening section" included and now they have made apps, the Genki system is very comprehensive."
"It adds a little more depth to your learning process when added to the textbook and mobile app."
"I love Genki, I can't wait to speak fluent Japanese!"
"Very good textbook, explains concepts very well for the beginner level."
"Easy to understand, excellent outline for beginners."
"Lesson flow sequentially, explanations are clear, and examples are relevant to travellers."
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Best Foreign Language Instruction

Easy Spanish Step-By-Step
Grammatical rules and concepts are clearly explained in order of importance, and more than 300 verbs and key terms are introduced on the basis of frequency. Easy Spanish Step-by-Step is based on the idea that the quickest route to learning Spanish is through a solid grounding in grammar basics. Guaranteed to get you quickly up and running with the knowledge and skills you need to communicate in Spanish with confidence, Easy Spanish Step-by-Step features:
Reviews
"It divides the task into logical, sequential steps that build upon each other, in the order you would learn them if it was your first language, saving verb tenses for later. The reading exercises at the end of each chapter are a useful and motivating tool, but ideally they would have reinforced vocabulary already learned, rather than requiring footnotes!"
"In may opinion, this is THE text book to start learning Spanish if you do it at home and are serious about it."
"Good presentation of this language, helpful exercises."
"This book is more advanced and you will need to dedicate time to learning spanish, but it's a great book."
"Using it with my fifth grader for home school."
"Love the book."
"Really like this book too."
"My son has found this easy to use!"
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Best Foreign Language Instruction

GENKI I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese (English and Japanese Edition)
Second edition of the most highly regarded teaching text book on the Japanese language, covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing to cultivate overall language ability.
Reviews
"I moved to Japan about 10 months ago and I needed a textbook to learn the language. That's true of any textbook, but with Genki it's even more so because the authors don't hold your hand and the book is written with the assumption that you are serious about learning Japanese. There is much to be gleaned from both, though the "useful expressions" sections are usually outstanding and provide supplementary words and sentences on a variety of common topics, such as counting, classroom vocabulary, train station expressions and doctor office visits. Then there are a few pages of practice, in which you will write the kanji you learned alone and in compounds, read various letters or stories and answer questions. 4) Meet with my Japanese teacher and do the conversation exercises (took 2-4 hours of class time per lesson). I feel quite comfortable in stores, restaurants, train stations, post offices, and the like. I can talk, to a limited extent, about the weather, my childhood, my job, my future plans, my schedule for tomorrow, and other common topics. Anyone serious about studying Japanese will get a lot out of this book, provided he or she is willing to put in the necessary work!"
"Don't stress too much though because there are plenty of sites to practice, such as lang-8, a free site where you help Japanese people learn English and they help you with Japanese in terms of writing, reading and speaking. This Second Edition comes with a CD, updated lessons, simpler ways of explaining grammar, and much more. If your'e grasp on English grammar is poor, well you might need to dedicate more hours into grammar, because it is DIFFICULT if you don't know what certain things are."
"For example "せんせい” is written out as "sensee" rather than "sensei" which is the actual representation of the characters. I feel like writing it like that will make it harder to read hiragana later on because they get used to reading different characters as a different Romanized English counterpart."
"I got the entire currciculum (textbook, workbook, answer key) and highly recommend it. I would get this book along with a couple others, because although it's more interesting than MNN, it's still pretty dry for self-studyers."
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Best Chinese Language Instruction

Integrated Chinese: Simplified Characters Textbook, Level 1, Part 1 (English and Chinese Edition)
Cheng & Tsui s best-loved Chinese textbook series is new, revised, and better than ever! The third edition of this time-tested series has been fully updated to meet the needs of today s students with new communicative and interactive exercises, a full-color design, up-to-date vocabulary, enhanced cultural coverage, a diverse cast of characters, and a realistic storyline linking all the dialogues and readings. What's new in the 3rd Edition? We recommend it without hesitation as an invaluable core component of a Chinese language program at both the high school and college levels.
Reviews
"A very useful and still fundamental system to learn Chinese."
"Outstanding quality, superior delivery, and splendid packaging!"
"This textbook is easy to understand for someone without a background in Chinese."
"Useful to help you learn, read, and write Chinese."
"Great product!"
"The textbook was a great buy, and there are many matching videos on YouTube that help supplement the text."
"Couldn't find any fault with mine,It is easy to understand and it explains it well."
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Best Foreign Language Study & Reference

The Giving Tree
And don't miss Runny Babbit Returns , the new book from Shel Silverstein! In Shel Silverstein's popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. At this point in the story, the double-page spread shows a pathetic solitary stump, poignantly cut down to the heart the boy once carved into the tree as a child that said "M.E. When there's nothing left of her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. (All ages) --Karin Snelson “If you’re looking for a children’s book that teaches generosity or unselfishness, most people will point you right to The Giving Tree , Shel Silverstein’s lovely story of a tree that will do anything for the boy it loves—and for good reason.
Reviews
"All that I can honestly say about this book, what some people say is "controversial" is it ; touches on feelings. teaches about selfishness. teaches about selflessness. teaches about caring. teaches about giving. this book really tugs at all the emotions everyone goes through one time or another. It has turned into a discussion book for all my grandkids. The book is a hardback & comes with a cover resembling the cover of the book."
"She would often just read a poem from A Light in the Attic, or Where the Sidewalk Ends, but this book really stuck with me."
"One of my favorite books with a great lesson for children on giving/taking and appreciation."
"This is my family's favorite children's book and certainly mine."
"Must have for all children."
"Best childhood book ever - adults should re-read every year as well."
"Great story for my 6 year old who reads voraciously.."
"Just like I remebered!"
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Best Children's Foreign Language Books

Baby Signs: A Baby-Sized Introduction to Speaking with Sign Language
With this adorable board book of essential signs, babies and toddlers can easily learn how to communicate their needs, wants, and feelings and even make basic observations with a simple gesture. Joy Allen lives in Cameron Park, California.
Reviews
"When flipping through the first two books I became a little overwhelmed, but then I got to this one... it is perfect for beginning to learn sign language."
"We used this book to help our daughter communicate with us, as she is 16 months old right now, and have been using this since she was 10 months old."
"My family has used sign language for each of the kids in the next generation and it has helped empower the kids."
"Great introduction to sign language."
"Teaches you and babies sign language."
"I teach my 9 months old son and he listen to me although he is late but he likes when I do the sign language."
"Love this book."
"But once you know where they are, it's a great way to teach your kid some signs while they enjoy the cute illustrations."
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Best French Language Instruction

Pimsleur French Conversational Course - Level 1 Lessons 1-16 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand French with Pimsleur Language Programs
This course includes Lessons 1-16 from the French Level 1 program - 8 hours of audio-only effective language learning with real-life spoken practice sessions. The French Language French is spoken by 55 million speakers in France, 3 million in Belgium, 1.5 million in Switzerland, 6.5 million in Canada, and 5 million in former French and Belgian colonies. Dr. Paul Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world’s leading experts in applied linguistics.
Reviews
"This first 16 lesson set is not really a good investment, because you really want to develop any proficiency in French, you need to buy the entire 30 lesson level on set."
"The lessons progress in complexity, but they also teach complete sentences in a way that makes me think of what I've already learned."
"A great CD to have, I aways put it on in my car in order to practice my french."
"They always say, if you are going to visit Paris, you should try to learn a little French. I took a few years of French a looong time ago, and for me this is the perfect program. (All those guttural Rs, and they do not all sound the same....) After going through the 16 lessons on this set, I am really delighted with what I have learned and retained. I feel like I have enough French to get along for a relatively brief visit, and to impress my traveling companions who, I am confident, will not have nearly as much French in their brains as I will."
"I can't wait to get the next edition."
"I learned so much the French people thought I spoke French but then I couldn't understand what they said back because I didn't learn what they said."
"The presenter is obviously American (and very good at explaining each new lesson), but the "teachers" are native French speakers, which I think is very important."
"No -after downloading can't find the right disc number in sequence .It is cheap and appears cheep."
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Best German Language Instruction

The Everything Learning German Book: Speak, write, and understand basic German in no time
German and English are closely related--you already know viele Phrasen! Building on the German language's close relation to English, this all-new edition covers everything from basic introductions to verb conversions. Whether you want to sample das stoutest Lager or converse with your grandparents in their native tongue, you'll soon discover just how easy it is to learn German! Rules of spelling and punctuation Appropriate language for correspondence in German, including e-mail Updated exercises. He is the author of several German, Russian, and ESL textbooks and wrote the first edition of The Everything Learning German Book and The Everything German Phrase Book.
Reviews
"- The exercises are rather limited, I don't believe beginners will be able to properly learn and understand the cases with such a limited set of exercises about the subject. - It often feels like the vocabulary is just thrown in there, because they had to put in some words here in there, if you're looking to learn a lot of words, this probably isn't the right book for you. All in all it is a good read, but you shouldn't use this book only to study German, consider it as an introduction or a book to freshen up old skills and improve your German by actually getting books with grammar/vocabulary drills."
"Teaching German in my home school this year and this book has been the basis for our lessons."
"Trying to brush up on my Deutsch."
"Time to delve into learning German again."
"I thought that this book might be too elementary for me becaue I have been self-studying German for the last several years."
"Great And besure delivery!Thanks Amazon."
"The first few chapters are all about the fundamentals of language, comparisons of German to English, etc."
"I speak, read and understand German very well as both the progeny of immigrants and through collegiate studies."
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Best Polish Language Instruction

Polish For Dummies
Includes sections dedicated to Polish in action, Polish on the go, and Polish in the workplace A companion audio CD contains Polish conversations spoken by native Polish speakers in a variety of everyday contexts, perfect for learning Polish on the go A Polish-English dictionary is included to provide quick access to the most common words. Jump in with both feet – start off with a quick primer on Polish pronunciation, grammar basics and the use of accents and inflections Hit the ground running – practise speaking Polish in real-world situations Take it on the road – be a confident visitor to Poland – from taking in a museum to getting through Customs; checking into a hotel to ordering a meal Get down to business – get a handle on Polish business-speak and the specialised language of Polish office and worksite culture Polish your Polish – sharpen your conversational Polish skills with the help of 'Talkin' the Talk' dialogues strategically placed throughout the book. The essentials of Polish pronunciation and grammar Greetings, introductions, small talk and basic everyday conversation All the Polish that travellers need to know Fun facts about Poland and Polish culture Ways to speak Polish quickly Phrases that make you sound fluent in Polish Polish/English mini-dictionary Lists of Polish verbs with conjugations.
Reviews
"You have to be a dummy to like this."
"Great as an auxiliary learning tool when starting the Polish language, especially if you are learning on your own or otherwise outside of a classroom."
"As an Australian of part Polish descent I found talking to relatives and Polish people very difficult."
"Explaining the language in a simple way."
"I am using this book in conjunction with some audio tapes - it is helping me a lot, especially with reading the words."
"Excellent condition and shipped in timely manner."
"Excellent book."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Spanish Language Study

¡Avancemos!: Student Edition Level 1 2013 (Spanish Edition)
Avancemos!
Reviews
"Very good first year Spanish book, recommended by my son's teacher."
"The condition wasn't as good as what I had expected but were exactly what I needed and what I had ordered."
"Great condition and price not bad!"
"no problems, received the book - in the condition as listed- was what I wanted."
"Needed for school - was in good shape."
"Arrived on time."
"Arrived in 2 days after ordering which came in handy for studying since we only have a classroom set and no home book."
"It was easy to locate and the purchase was simple."
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Best Children's French Books

Le Petit Prince (French Language Edition)
These affordable and beautiful editions are sure to delight an entire new generation of readers, students, children, and adults for whom Saint-Exupéry's story will open the door to a new understanding of life. His writings include The Little Prince , Wind, Sand and Stars , Night Flight , Southern Mail , and Airman's Odyssey .
Reviews
"I was in Lyon, France in September where Saint Exupery was born, in a park with a statute of him."
"The translation sounds good to me (but I'm French not Hispanic) and my version has great drawings unlike other reviewers' version..."
"Lo unico que, obvio la version Kindle no tiene imagenes."
"Bellísima historia!"
"This book was written before 1943, all their concepts are valid at this date 2017, and forever."
"It doesn't outright ask these questions or provide answers to them but broaches the thoughts in such a way that invites you think about it for years to come."
"Through its pages it speaks of love, friendship and happiness, it speaks of values that we loose when cast them aside when we reach adulthood."
"Of course it gets 5 stars, such an amazing little tale."
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Best Dictionaries & Thesauruses

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs : The Definitive Pop-Up
With each of six spreads featuring one spectacular, large pop-up as well as booklets of smaller pop-ups and text, ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS is a magnificent display of paper engineering and creativity — an astonishing book that will be read, admired, and treasured forever. Rendered in warm earth tones and speckled with splashes of color, the three-dimensional creatures move with a life of their own as they gracefully extend their bodies into a full stretch or lurch toward readers with jaws open wide.
Reviews
"I am including a video so you can sort of see the depth and involvement this brings. Types of dinos, Carnivores, Herbivores, Feathered, Armored, Biggest etc. He wants it read as a bedtime story but there is so much info you could prob do 1 page per night and extend it out."
"I'd say that the reading level is fairly advanced - maybe 4th grade, but even at such a young age, my son gets a kick out of the animals and tries to rip their tail off or whatever."
"He is so enthralled with the dynamic of this book and encourages him to be inquisitive and learn about things they aren't teaching in daycare."
"Unfortunately he's a weapon of mass destruction so the book stays out of his reach, but I was amazed at the quality and just how many pop-ups there are in this book!"
"The book looks really thick and I expected many pages like 20, but of course the thickness is because of the good paper, and big pop ups."
"This book is crafted with great precision and artistry."
"My young nephew likes dinosaurs so he likes this book."
"Really impressive cutouts but ours arrived with some already torn."
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