Russian at a Glance: Phrase Book and Dictionary for Travelers

by Thomas R. Beyer Jr.

Book Overview

A great companion for international travelers to Russia, this handy, pocket-size bilingual At a Glance phrasebook is designed for tourists and business travelers who lack time to learn Russian but... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812042999
• ISBN13: 9780812042993
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 3.9" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Content - 5, Construction - 3

I really like this phrase book / dictionary and after reviewing it with my Russian born soulmate, she agreed that it's well designed and very helpful. After looking at quite a few similar books that neglected to give helpful tools for learning syllable emphasis, I was delighted to find that this one does a great job throughout. The size is ideal for pocket use, which for me is more helpful in allowing me to keep it with me daily as I learn my soulmate's native language (rather than as a travel aid). Along the lines of "suitability for daily use", my only complaint so far with this book is with it's physical construction. I purchased a new copy ... and the cover was already partially coming detached from the body of the book when I took it out of the box. This did not appear to be shipping damage, as there was no damage to the box and the separation didn't appear to be due to a blow the book had taken. It looks like it was just never attached very well in the first place. I like what's inside well enough to keep it, but if you're planning to bring this one on a trip with you or use it every day as I do, you might want to keep a rubber band or other kind of little book carrier with you to make sure all the pages stay together. A book of this quality content deserves better construction.

This should be the "2nd" phrasebook you buy!

"Russian at a glance" is an excellent choice as a compact phrasebook to accompany you to Russia or other CIS countries. I have to be honest telling you this one is not as "worn" as our Lonely Planet phrasebook (my first choice). In spite of that, it definitely has a few great advantages.The first difference you'll notice will be the addition of maps of Russia, Moscow and the Moscow Metro. If you are going to Moscow, that in itself could be a lifesaver (I dare you to find a small map anywhere on the street when you need one!) It also incorporates a bit more helpful material such as passport control info and a brief cultural guide to each section- shopping, entertainment etc. The truth about traveling in Russia is that you will have a tough time finding much help once you get off the plane or train. The more you have thought through in advance or have at your fingertips the better.Another strong point is a decent sized dictionary for a phrasebook. The phonetic pronunciation guide for each phrase is good as well. This book is small, but not ideal at 3.75 X 6 inches and around 240 pages. The book isn't thick (3/8"), but the pages are tightly bound and a little difficult to turn. You may find it just a bit awkward to keep around at times.This will be a good choice for you, but honestly, this became our "number two" phrasebook during our 7 or so trips to Russia and Eastern Europe in the past two years. It was just a hair too big to keep in my pocket and we constantly opted for the Lonely Planet book instead. The lack of wear it received compared to the other speaks for itself.

Easy to follow pronunciation shown for every word!

This is an excellent phrasebook, with a very small form factor so that you can easily carry it in a coat pocket. The most useful feature is that words are shown in both Cyrillic and phonetic spellings so that you can pronounce the word or phrase with complete confidence. The emphasized syllable is capitalized. (Example: thank you = spaSIba) There's a nice dictionary in the back, and the grammar section is concise with easy rules. Great value for the money!

Excellent resource for tourists and students

Cultural information is interspersed throughout the vocabulary in the phrasebook section; this really kept me interested in reading further. Features I really liked: the Quick Grammar guide covers an astonishing amount of material in a mere seven pages. Essential verbs (such as "want, "can," "need," etc.) are conjugated in the dictionary section so that the average tourist can use the correct form.This is another excellent entry in the publisher's "At a Glance" series.