18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Useful but imperfect phrasebook, June 13, 2008
Some other reviewers have rated this book poorly on the basis that it did not "save them" when they all of sudden needed a certain phrase. The problem with rating the book on that premise is that this is NOT what the book is designed to do. You use this book to learn basic phrases BEFORE you enter conversations, in most instances. From this perspective, it served me quite well as I traveled throughout Deutsch-speaking lands for 2 weeks. Granted, there are times when you might want to look up a phrase on the spot, but to think that this book is going to save you from that awkward situation is silly. You have to put some work into studying the book beforehand.
The other thing to realize is that most Germans do know English, at least the basics. And this is especially the case in tourist areas. So, yes, if you only use this book when you *need* it then you won't use it much. But some of us recognize that to know a culture is to know its language, so learning some German is not only useful but delightful.
As one person said, the sections are well-organized. I thought that the beginning tools section was excellent: it succinctly stated exactly what a traveler needs to know to form basic German sentences. I would have appreciated some more insight on verb conjugation (conversational past tenses are very easy to form), however, because otherwise you are left using un-conjugated verbs that you know will sound awkward. Still, if you're only intent is "get by" then this book serves just fine.
There are a few instances where the book is perhaps non-colloquial with regards to vocabulary. Germans say "Eis" in reference to ice cream, for example, not ice cubes, which is "Eiswürfel". This is very minor. What is unfortunate, however, is that the book presents the pronunciations in "Hochdeutsch" (high German), a "proper" dialect of German that Germans don't seem to use in conversation. The best example is "ich," which means "I". Germans pronounce this close to "ish" but the phrasebook presents it as "ikh". Likewise, many words with "ch" are rendered as hard k's and not as soft ch.
I write the above paragraph not because I am a German expert (far from it) but because I traveled with a friend who has lived in Germany for half of his life and is near-fluent if not fluent in German. He informed me of the aforementioned errors, and even told me to just ignore the pronunciation guide in the book because it was messing me up so bad.
Another random complaint: the section on romance is ridiculously long and stupid. I can't tell if this section was put in seriously or as a joke, especially the part on sex. Either way it is largely obnoxious and nothing more.
Overall, I did like this book mainly because it is well-organized and equipped me for basic conversation.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stick with one phrasebook, March 18, 2009
This review is not simply about the German Phrasebook by Lonely Planet but rather their entire series of phrasebooks. I travel quite a bit and in the past 2 years I have purchased 5 different phrasebooks from Lonely Planet. The greatest strength of this product line is uniformity. They are all set up the same and have the same essential phrases. Once you learn the pattern within your first book, each successive language book just flows as you will already know where to look.
Another bonus is the size. Tiny. Perfect for the coat pocket and it can be kept hidden behind your passport if such a book is embarrassing. I actually was praised in Germany on my latest trip for carrying the book because they thought it a sign of respect that I did not simply go to their country and expect them to speak my language. As they also informed me of, this is not unique to American travelers as the stereotype goes. Many peoples of the world travel expecting others to know 'their' language. I received props for my effort.
I also like this book because I am also a fan of the Lonely Planet travel guides. This book, along with a country/city guide make a powerful 1-2 punch for the would be traveler.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good reference, September 2, 2007
This review is from: German: Lonely Planet Phrasebook (Paperback)
If you know no German, like me, it's a useful book for pronunciation and vocabulary. It also includes useful, simple sentences that can help you out in a pinch. It's not a textbook, so purchasers of it shouldn't expect detailed info. I bought it on impulse at LAX on my way to Munich and was glad I did.
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