Customer Reviews

German at a Glance: Phrase Book & Dictionary for Travelers (Barron's Languages at a Glance)

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I am an American service member living in Germany and I rarely walk out of the house without this book. It does not tell you everything about the language but it does enough to make communicating what you need worth your while to have with you. If you are planning a trip to the "Beer Capital" of the world don't leave home without it.

This compact little phrase book is packed with useful words, phrases, and interesting cultural notes that should be more than sufficient for most tourists and business travellers. I especially enjoy the part about food (that's the most important thing, isn't it?) But of course it is not a substitute for learning German formally. In fact, I wonder if I would appreciate this book as much if I had not already taken 2 semesters of German. Also, perhaps it's time for a revision. Some new references concerning the EMU, the internet, mobile phones, etc. would be useful.

I just returned from a 2-week vacation in Germany. This dictionary was totally useless. Every word I tried to look up, both in German to get the English translation, and vice-versa was not in the dictionary. Most of the food/menu items we tried to look up when dining were not in the restaurant section. Our travelling companions, unfortunately, had bought the same book. I would NOT recommend this book at all.