Vest Pocket Spanish

This is a good introduction to the language for those whose contact with Spanish speakers is limited to days or weeks rather than longer periods. Within that period, it is excellent, since you are unlikely to need more "sentence patterns" than it supplies. It is not designed to replace an academic course in the language. It is designed to give someone over the process of a few days a reasonably complete tour of most of the working parts of the language, designed for immediate use. If you're going on a trip to a Spanish speaking locale, this is a good buy!