Cassell's Contemporary Spanish: A Handbook of Grammar, Current Usage, and Word Power

I am currently taking a Spanish 1 course at our local college. A colleague of mine, who is a native Spanish speaker recommended this book to me. Fortunately, although out of print, I was able to find it online. This handbook is clearly written and an excellent resource.

This is a very helpful study aid for Spanish speakers at most levels. I consider it a study aid only because it uniquely covers grammatical points that are geared towards the Intermediate and Advanced speaker but it certainly does not go into depth and definitely does not cover any complex structures. I found it to be very practical, with clear and concise explanations and examples provided. It's not a workbook so don't expect any practice exercises. The back of book serves as a handy reference and covers subject matters outside of the grammatical realm such business writing, idiomatic expressions, thematic vocabulary etc. This book is an excellent complement to a good grammar book. It definitely is handy for clarifying doubts from time to time and the grammar topics cover are the most typical reoccurring grammar points that present difficulty for learners of the Spanish language. The lessons are in English with relevant examples in Spanish.

Too bad the Cassell's Contemporary Italian/French/Spanish/German series are now out of print. I have them all the they are the best grammar books I own. I am a language buff and own several grammars and these can't be beat! I had been looking for the Cassell's Contemporary Italian recently and discovered the Langenscheidt Pocket Grammars are the Cassell's Contemporary series in new editions. They are identical.

This book is very helpful if you need help on Spanish grammar, but it is mainly only good for that. With supplemental books (or other teaching tools) on the language, this book is great. A must for anyone trying to increase their competency in Spanish.