Russian for Dummies: [With CD]

We got this book to supplement some language tapes that we are using to learn conversational Russian. This book is great, because it helps explain rules of the language in very down to earth terms. It gives a lot of helpful tips in speaking and understanding Russian. A great resource.

As an expat banker living in Moscow, Russia, I picked up a copy of Russian for Dummies when I was in NYC just for kicks. The book is even better than some of the Russian language books I used in college for one simple reason: It's real, spoken Russian in a variety of actual everyday contexts, which I didn't have a clue about when I first came to Russia. If you're planning on living in Russia for extended periods of time, you'll want to learn the Cyrillic alphabet (which is a breeze, contrary to popular myth), but if you're just making a short trip or just want to get a thorough overview of the language the book is perfect.

Russian for Dummies breaks all the stereotypes I've had about Russia--a gloomy, strange country with a language next to impossible to learn. The Russian langauge and culture really come alive in this extremely easy to use introductory book. And there are so many intriguing cultural references in this book that you could actually use it as a travel guide as much as a language guide. I didn't realize Russia could be such a fun (and funny) place! C

This is the first Dummies I've bought, and I thought it was really good. The author's kept it funny and light, but remained true to their purpose...to put together an easy to use guide to Russian language. Between the table of contents and the index, I could always quickly find the phrase or vocabulary list I was looking for. And, between the transliterations and audio CD, I know what I'm learning is authentic.

My wife and I bought the book for a trip we're taking to Europe this summer. We finished about half the book and like it. We tried some of the greetings and phrases on our Russian friends and they understood us, which is a good sign. Some of the grammar explanations are confusing in chapter 2, but the cultural tips and sayings throughout the book are really useful and the CD's great. Maybe the book could benefit from showing how words are spelled with actual Russian letters, which are shown in Chapter 1. Otherwise, we're enjoying it.