Average customer rating:
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Brother Whale New Ed
Roy Nickerson
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
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ASIN: 087701423X |
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell you how to stroll the same streets walked by Michelangelo or stay in a farmhouse in a Tuscan hill town? With Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2005, you can experience Rick's favorite destinations in Florence, including the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Ponte Vecchio-economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2005 includes color maps and photos, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Florence and Tuscany have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
Don't pass up this book!.......2005-08-30
The choice is clear...buy this book or regret not buying it.
I had been to Florence many, many years ago. Everything is still where it was, but times have changed. We indeed live in a different world, a different time, different circumstances, and a different economy. No more Italian lira. It's the power of the euro now. Things simply cost more. Business is business, scams are scams, good deals are good deals, and bad deals are bad deals.
Security is heavy and tight in many of the museums. These are, after all, icons of civilization and a religious society and history. Bags will be checked, metal detectors are in use, you will empty your pockets, and you will be scanned. In spite of a highly visible police force, thieves, gangs, and gypsies still stalk the tourists and still try their hand or tricks to part you and your money.
This book by Rick Steve prepares you for all the best and all the worst that Florence and Tuscany has to offer. You can not do Florence in just a day or two, but if you have no choice then you have to prepare long in advance.
I can not stress enough the importance of checking his web site for updates, most importantly the Florence area attractions. Otherwise, without this book and advice on his website, BE PREPARED TO STAND IN LINE AT THE UFFIZI FOR UP TO 7 HOURS! ACCADEMIA FOR UP TO 4 HOURS! Or you can buy this book, take his and my advice, and buy your tickets well in advance. No waiting in line, just show up at your scheduled time. It is that easy. You can order from several different sources online or wait until you get to Florence and call in your order and save additional service fees and shipping fees. As an example; while entering the Accademia, two young ladies studying in Spain from UCLA were behind us. All of us already had our tickets and were simply waiting for our assigned entry time. They had already been to the Uffizi earlier that day and also preordered tickets. They related talking to some other college students who had been in line for 5 hours trying to get in, were no where near the entry, and ran the risk of not getting in by the time they stopped allowing entry. For both the Uffizi and Accademia, those that have reservations have a separate line and entry point. So get your tickets in advance! Enough said.
The value of this book comes in many forms. This is a great tour guide through each and every museum with suggested routes and paths to take, highlights the features in each room along with some historical perspective, and guides you along effortlessly. This is what others pay big bucks for...tour guides. This book essentially does this very well. We found one of the best values in the "undiscovered" gems of Florence that Rick pointed out (some of the real bargains). You can stand in line for hours to enter the Duomo, you can stand in another line for hours to climb up to the dome of the Duomo, or you can walk over to the Bell Tower where there is no line. There is also no elevator, just 414 steps but equally impressive and incredible views of the Duomo and the Florentine landscape. You can admire the doors of the Baptistery if you can get close enough. Or you can go to the Duomo Museum behind the Duomo and see the originals. This museum is a real gem. No lines, reasonable admission, self paced tour. Oh, and you can take plenty of pictures. This was never an issue in any museum in the past but now NO FOTO is everywhere. They want to protect the precious works of art but I feel the main motivation is to buy the overpriced books and pictures in the museum shops. In the Duomo Museum, you will also find Michelangelo's second Pieta, works by Donatello, actual models of the dome as well as drawings, many original elements from the Duomo, and countless other Florentine and Renaissance works to rival the Uffizi and Accademia. Again, with no lines and take all the pictures you want. You will also enjoy the religious relics like St. John the Baptist's finger, a tooth from the same, St. Peter's chains, the jawbone of other saints (or are they?) as the author points out. Another great bargain and no standing in line is the Bargello in Palazzo Vecchio. See even more Michelangelo, Donatello, and four more variations of David. Great self paced tour at your leisure with art students sprawled out all over the place sketching the statures and perhaps the patrons.
Walk and enjoy Florence day and night. Even with all the preparation and advice taken from the book and web site, two gypsy girls did the "trip and fall" routine where one braces herself against the other and against an unsuspecting person. This person happened to be my wife whom had a hand run completely down inside her panties in attempts to find and snatch (no pun intended) a money belt. I was the one wearing the money belt so I missed out on a cheap thrill.
Rick is right on with this book. He is right on with the fact that Florence indeed HAS THE BEST GELATO (tried several and was never disappointed). We were unable to book any hotels recommended due to peak tourist season and the popularity of this book. The only contradiction I can mention is to avoid the recommended Ristorante il Cavallino on Palazzo Vecchio. We found this to be a sorry excuse for Tuscan cuisine, overpriced for the fare, and rude behavior from more than one waiter. This view was also shared by other diners. You end up getting stuck paying for the pathetic service (servizio) as this is included in your bill already.
Extremely useful and thorough guide.......2005-08-04
Once again I used one of Rick Steves' guides as a resource for my
trip. Once again, I found it to be thorough and extremely practical in making my selections throughout the journey.
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell you the best way to see St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum? With Rick Steves' Rome 2005, you can experience the best of everything Rome has to offer-economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Rome 2005 includes color maps and photos, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Rome have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
Great for touristy stuff but short on history and background.......2005-11-02
Just back from a week in Rome and the subject says it all; Rick's Rome 2005 has great tips for avoiding lines, finding great restaurants, the value of the money belt, the value of the metro pass and many other tips for travelers. I can't recommend the book enough for these things. Avoiding the line at the Colosseum is worth the price of the book alone. However, for someone who has traveled to Rome dozens of times, Rick is either clueless or careless about ancient Roman history as is evident in the book and his Roman travel shows; almost every entry has glaring History 101 errors. I suppose for a casual tourist it may not matter what they are looking at but if you care AT ALL about the sites you'll need more than this book. More on that at the end.
Between this book and all of Rick's shows, my wife and I were prepared for the touristy stuff of Rome. Cutting through the tour group exit in the Sistine Chapel was a great hint!! A woman with a baby attempted to pick my pocket on the subway, she was right out of Rick's book. All but a few Euros were safely tucked away in my money belt. She didn't even get the money in my pocket! Thanks Rick!!
However, I can't stress enough though that for history of the city and sites you will see that you must bring another book such as the Oxford Archaeological Guide to Rome if you wish to get ANY historical value out of seeing the sites. Rick has great touristy tips but is not well versed in ancient Roman history and in fact seems to have distaste for it. The book is rife with specific errors and general stereotypes. To him, to quote his shows, Rome was "chariots, gladiators...and persecutions," none of which are particularly important when looking at Roman history, though the games were somewhat important for keeping the masses in the city of Rome itself happy.
Examples of errors in the book:
1. Most egregious specific error: the explanation of SPQR. As most of you probably know, it means Senatus Populusque Romanus: the Senate and People of Rome. Rick says it is Senatus Publicus Q Romanus. Yikes! All one has to do is look up at the inscription on the Arch of Titus in the forum to get this right, or at some of the tee-shirts for sale around Rome.
2. His discussion of the Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheater makes it seem bloodier than it was. Most fights between gladiators did not end in death as gladiators were an investment, one did not kill them off recklessly. Fights that ended in death were anywhere from 5% to 50% of fights, depending on whose estimate one takes. Most historians estimate around 10 percent of fights ended in death.
2. The discussion of the forum is a bare sketch of what you will see when there. He refers to gleaming white marble buildings one would have seen but all the buildings would have been colorfully painted, just like statues were painted. There are dozens of things to learn about in the forum, not just the 15 items he mentions.
3. Brutus was NOT Julius Caesar's adopted son, which Rick says twice.
4. Senators were not elected, as he claims, though some positions they might hold were elected.
5. His description of religion in ancient Rome as stale and empty is out of an outdated 19th century textbook. It was neither stale nor empty spiritually and fell to monotheism only at the point of a sword, not the word. He refers several times to the jubilant heady times when Christianity was legalized and some of the older churches one will see could be openly built. They may have been jubilant, heady times to the Christians but to the Romans, 95+% of whom remained traditional or "pagan" in their religion, those were confusing, troubling, even terrifying times as their ancestral ways were attacked, individuals were persecuted and often killed for following them and their temples destroyed or converted to other uses. Their world was falling apart, being destroyed, and for little purpose that they could see.
In this vein, Rick's distaste for the Romans' history and their ancestral religion shows when he refers to a statue of Minerva as "It's big, it's gaudy, it's a weird goddess from a pagan cult." Elsewhere referring to a Mithraeum below San Clemente that "there is nowhere better to experience this weird cult." Such editorial comments and others cannot help get readers interested in this subjects. One might as well alternatively say, "it's massive, it's tacky, St. Peter's Basilica is a poor substitute for the ancient buildings its stones were stolen from." Such a statement would be no better in a guidebook but his comment is the equivalent.
Speaking of religion, Rick uses the old term Counter-Reformation throughout his book, whereas it is generally called the Catholic Reformation today.
6. While the Pantheon is called the "pantheon" or temple to all the Gods as Rick says, no one really knows what the building was used for, whether a temple, part of a public bath, or some other ceremonial use.
7. Constant reference in the book to emperors worshipped as Gods on earth. In Rome, the emperors were not worshipped during their lifetime, this occurred only in the provinces, mostly in the East. The Romans traditionally found such practices distasteful; they saw the emperor often and knew he was just a man and died as easily as any other man. Some emperors were deified after death though but that is a far cry from being worshipped while alive.
7. In S. Giovanni Laterano (St. John Lateran) the statue in the atrium is not Constantine as Rick says but Constantius II, his son. Also, the bronze columns inside did not come from the temple of Jupiter but from public law basilicas. No one knows specifically from what buildings. Rick can't be entirely blamed, the labels in the church say it is Constantine but if he did a few minutes research he would see it isn't true. This is where a book like the Oxford Archeological Guide comes in handy.
8. The stadium or stadio on the Palatine was not a stadium or "rec room" as such but a garden for the emperors shaped like a stadium.
So, in closing, bring this book to Rome and never forget it in your hotel room, it is invaluable for navigating the tourist traps but also bring another book for historical info.
Excellent guidebook.......2005-09-14
This guidebook is excellent, exactly what is expected from a Steve Ricks guidebook.
THE Guide to Take .......2005-09-09
I planned a three week trip to Europe and could not have done it without Rick Steve's guide books. I completely, without any reservation, reccommend this book to anyone going to Rome. It helped me prioritize my time and orient myself to Rome. Along with Rome, I also bought Venice, London, and Paris. All were equally fantastic. The guide books were great in terms of which sights are a must and which are not, what restaurants were good, where to stay, local transportation, and little hints here and there. The two cities for which I did not have Rick's guide books weren't as successful.
Great Resosurce!.......2005-08-04
Rick Steves' books, as his shows, are great resources to consider when traveling abroad. This guide was no exception.
Good...until you get hungry.......2005-05-18
I'm generally a fan of the Rick Steves guidebooks, and I have been ever since his Paris 2004 book helped me survive my very first trip to France. So naturally, when I booked my trip to Rome, the current Rick Steves guide was a must-buy.
And it contains the usual Rick Steves pluses: he explains how to ride public transportation, how to deal with traffic, and some other basic things that you don't consider until you are actually in a foreign country and faced with using an ATM machine in Italian, etc. He also includes several good, long walks that cover the major sights you want to see in Rome, as well as guided tours of museums and monuments.
But the Rome book, in particular, was especially weak when it came to recommending restaurants. In the Via Firenze neighborhood, which he trumpets as being the area where he usually stays, his recommended restaurants include McDonalds and an Irish pub. More often than not, the recommended restaurants have bizarre operating hours that make it inconvenient for travellers. Worst of all, when you do go to a recommended restaurant, you are seated among a dozen other Rick Steves-toting Americans.
I still believe that Rick Steves handles the practicalities of travel better than any other travel guide series, but to truly enjoy Rome, make sure you also buy a good restaurant guide so that you can enjoy the many culinary delights that Rome has to offer (i.e. not Big Macs and Guiness!).
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell you the best way to see St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Rialto Bridge, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection? With Rick Steves' Venice 2005, you can experience everything Venice has to offer-economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Venice 2005 includes color maps and photos, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Venice have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
Just what you need.......2007-09-29
I used this book for my recent trip to Venice. You can skip all guided tours offered by agencies in Venice, if you have this book. It is very helpful with historical overviews, but when come for food advices - just browse local restaurants and look for "tourist menue" (around 15-18 euros for 3 dishes, but be sure it doesn't' come with "cover charge" which is extra 2 euros). It is the best deal to get variety of dishes for reasonable prices. Also, visit Realto market for fresh fruits and vegetables, and small stores for ham and cheeses.
I went on day trips to Padova , Vicenza, and Verona. The book was extremely helpful for giving the guidance for day trips. Don't miss to try Recioto wine in Verona.
Extremely helpful for a short trip.......2007-07-23
I use this book for a two day trip to Venice. As I had very little time it really helped me focus on the important sites. Most important were the little hints about when to see the sites. Although Venice was overrun with tourists, I did not find the restaurants or musems to be a problem if I followed the time recommendations. Skip the commercial tours and follow the book recomendations.
Thank you, Ladies on the Train!.......2007-06-25
My husband and I were fortunate enough to be seated across from some ladies who had this book on the train from Florence to Venice. After learning that we had no guidebook for the city, they very kindly gave it to us to use during our stay. We are soooooo grateful! We used it constantly. We loved the way Rick had all the walking tours laid out, and we did several of them. Since we only had two days in the city, we made use of the feature recommending which sites to see and which to skip. Also, I think that if we travel to Italy again, we will skip many of the agency "guided" tours--which mainly consist of being herded like cattle through the museums during peak hours and rushed past some of the most interesting pieces--and opt instead for the self-guided tour features in Rick's guidebook. We took the self-guided for I Frari and St. Mark's, and both were far more informative than our 40 Euro tour of the Doge's Palace. We ate at a number of the recommended restaurants (including the Juice Bar--delicious!) and didn't have any problem with crowds or waits, even during the peak hours of 8-9 pm. Since our hotels were pre-booked through a travel agency, I can't comment on the accomodations section. But I loved that Rick's recommendations were all budget-friendly. By the time we got to Venice, we'd been all across Italy and funds were low. It was nice that this guidebook had actual price ranges inside, so we could budget a little better--and know, unlike another unsuspecting couple we met, that coffee at Florian's could end up costing 50 + Euros. This book would be a great investment for any Venice-bound traveller...and thank you again, ladies! You (and Rick) helped make our trip absolutely fabulous!
Another quality book from Rick.......2007-05-15
Not only does Rick provide up to minute info, including correct phone numbers to musuems. (Just called to secure a reservation to Doge's Secret Tour) but also hints on how to avoid some of the lines. Would you like to know which vaporetta stop to use for Murano glass shopping? Get the book. It well done, with a couple of unexpected lines of humor that will definitely have lol wherever you are!!
Definitely a must-have for Venice visitors........2007-03-26
Rick's book - along with the Eyewitness Travel Guide for Venice and the Veneto - proved to be the most useful from the stack of nearly a half-dozen tour guides we brought with us on a recent trip to the city. His coverage of practical information such as how to best use and get around the city via vaporetto, walking, waterbus services, etc was the easiest to follow and made navigating what can be a confusing city much simpler.
His museum and art highlights are interesting and provide a more lighthearted, easier-to-read approach than many more "highbrow" tour or art books one can find. Of course, there is much more to see in each museum or church or scuola than he points out, so for the art enthusiast it is worth taking your time and not simply skimming about to find his highlights. We found we needed at least twice as much time in each location as Rick indicates to fully appreciate what we were seeing. Similarly, we had to laugh upon setting foot on Burano and seeing he only gives it a "5-minute" walkabout, or similarly 30 minutes on Torcello. We spent about 5 hours combined on just those two fascinating lagoon islands.
That said, we would have missed a great deal without his useful hints and tips, and went to a couple of the restaurants he recommended and had good experiences there (as well as his other tips for good eating around the entire city.)
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell you the best way to see Rome, Venice, Florence, the hill towns of central Italy, the Dolomites, and the Amalfi Coast? With Rick Steves' Italy 2005, you can experience the best of everything Italy has to offer-economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Italy 2005 includes color maps and photographs, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Italy have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
OK for the timid traveler.......2006-06-10
This guidebook, while thorough in the cities it covers, should not be called an "Italy" guidebook. Entire regions, as well as Sicily, are left out, and only the most famous of the popular tourist towns are covered. The constant reminders about theft, the difficulties of driving, the traffic, the crowds, almost made me forget why I was going to Italy. The guidebook might be best for the more timid or first-time traveler who only wants the main sights in the main places, not for the traveler who hopes to experience something out of the ordinary. For travelers looking for more depth I would suggest the Lonely Planet Italy guidebook.
A great book for planning your trip to Italy!.......2005-11-07
I lived in Italy for four years before the "Rick Steves era", I was an ardent user of the Frommer guides, and they are great. However, Rick's guide to Italy is superb! He is comprehensive, he runs the gamut from budget to more comfortable, and he does a masterful job of pointing travelers to the best of real Italy. He candidly admits that "Italy is his favorite country," and that the book is based on his opinions. However, his opinions are honest, thoroughly researched, constantly updated, and they exude common sense. He is witty, writes engagingly, and beyond everything else, I trust him, as do zillions of other travelers.
Bravo, Rick! Great job!
Thanks to Rick for a vacation and memories of a lifetime.......2005-10-24
I traveled around Italy for the first time this summer, with Rick Steves Italy 2005 as my only guide. Other reviewers have complained of Rick Steves overload, and indeed it is strange to be sitting in pretty much any corner in Italy and see at least a few other people reading the Rick Steves guide. Indeed, even Rick's "back doors" are no longer undiscovered, and many small town Italians sighed as they said how his books were a blessing and a curse for their home towns.
That being said, there is a reason why so many tourists clutch onto his tour book as I did--they do so because it's a darn good book! And even if his back doors are not as pristine as they might have once been, my fondest memories from Italy are from places like the hill cities of Tuscany and the beautiful towns of the Cinque Terre, places I probably wouldn't have visited (or even heard of) if I had stayed with the mainstream guides. His recommendations for restaurants and hotels were right on the mark as well.
Say what you will about Rick, but his guide is an indispensable guide for first-time travelers to Italy, and a great stepping stone for repeat visitors. This book was informative and fun to read, as it was nice to have a tour book that actually had opinions and some spice. Thanks Rick, for being my tour guide on an unforgettable tour around Italy!
A Must Have going to Italy.......2005-10-20
Like many of Rick's books, this is another one that you must have with you. But its odd, seeing it at almost everyday tourist site. Its an easy way to startup a conversation with another American. I do wish he add some details about his restaurant recommendations.
Good guide.......2005-10-03
I have found that the Rick Steve Guides to be consistently the best for short trips to the destinations. It's organization of what to see and do seems to be on the money. I have also found that it is very important to get the latest edition, esp. for Italy. There were a lot of changes when I went to Italy in Sept. 2005 using the 2005 guide, but it acted as a great what to see in a short trip. Food and hotel is not as good as site guide.
Book Description
Keeping technical terminology to a minimum, this comprehensive handbook provides a detailed yet accessible overview of Arabic wherein its phonology, morphology and syntax can be readily accessed. Accompanied by extensive examples, it will prove an invaluable practical guide for supporting students' textbooks, classroom work or self-study, and a useful resource for scholars and professionals.
Download Description
A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic is a comprehensive handbook on the structure of Arabic. Keeping technical terminology to a minimum, it provides a detailed yet accessible overview of Modern Standard Arabic in which the essential aspects of its phonology, morphology and syntax can be readily looked up and understood. Accompanied by extensive carefully-chosen examples, it will prove invaluable as a practical guide for supporting students' textbooks, classroom work or self-study, and will also be a useful resource for scholars and professionals wishing to develop an understanding of the key features of the language. Grammar notes are numbered for ease of reference, and a section is included on how to use an Arabic dictionary, as well as helpful glossaries of Arabic and English linguistic terms and a useful bibliography. Clearly structured and systematically organised, this book is set to become the standard guide to the grammar of contemporary Arabic.
Customer Reviews:
Solid Reference Grammar: it's what it says it is.......2007-10-07
This is an excellent reference manual for MSA Arabic. I found it a useful reference for somebody who already has a firm grasp of Arabic and would like to gain a deeper understanding of the language. If you are a beginner, or even intermediate student, this really isn't the right text for you. It is simply too difficult to make sense of without adequate background. I majored in Middle East Studies/Arabic and also lived in the Mid East for a while--and found it just right for me. I selected this book a while after graduating to solidify and deepen my understanding of the extreme complexities of the language. I was not the top student in written Arabic (nor was I the bottom student), so perhaps a more exceptional student academically could make use of it with less experience. Personally, I did much better in spoken Arabic, but less so in written Arabic--so I needed (need) a book like this.
The book does build from chapter to chapter, so skipping right to chapter 11, for instance, may be difficult for the average person. If you skip chapters, it assumes that you understand the previous chapters. The amount of material covered in this book is both its strength and it's weakness: if you are ready for over 700 pgs of complicated Arabic grammar (not a page is wasted), go for it. Again, I don't recommend this for any but the VERY serious intermediate student (any student of Arabic has to be serious--I mean serious even for an Arabic student), or advanced skilled Arabic user.
I think it is best to look elsewhere if you are having trouble with a particular concept. If you understand the concept at some level, and want to deepen your understanding, this book may be right for you. For example, verbs. If you in general know how to work an Arabic verb but want to know just how hollow verbs or assimilated verbs (/etc.) works beyond a basic recognition/survival ability, than this is a good choice. If you stumble with simple verbs then this is less useful--it will only confuse you with the level of detail.
However, everybody is different--I tend to be much less grammar oriented, and much more "speak to me and I'll speak back--if you look blank I'll try again" type of guy, not the academic guy. I got this book to balance that, and got more than my money's worth. This book is exactly what it says it is, and if that's what you want, get it.
Good, concise Arabic grammar guide.......2007-03-08
I have been studying Arabic for two years and this book is MUCH better at explaining Arabic grammar than the Ahlan wa Sahlan series by Mahdi Alosh. Though it is really dry (after all it is a reference guide), Ryding is much more concise and consistent than Alosh. She also presents the material in a sequential order that is more conducive to learning complex Arabic structure. I find this to be the most frustrating aspect of the Ahlan wa Sahlan series. Ryding also provides an excellent guide for Arabic verb structure which is the foundation of the language. Alosh only hits on it occassionally and well after a student of Arabic should be exposed to it.
The reason I am giving it 4 stars, instead of 5 is because she does get a little too technical with the usage of English grammar concepts. However, she does provide a good explanation for why she does this and it does help provide a better understanding of how Arabic relates.
I hightly recommend this guide as a companion to any university Arabic program. Wish I had discovered it two years ago!!
A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic.......2007-02-22
Found the book in good condition and on time
Best current reference on Arabic.......2006-09-10
In 39 crisp chapters covering more than 700 pages Ryding organizes both the grand lines and essential details of Arabic language structure and grammar. This is a highly readable, easily searched linguistic reference. The index really does the job and her list of references alone is a significant academic contribution. Finally, this gem will make life easier for both students of Arabic and researchers. All my thumbs are up for this once in a lifetime linguistic treasure.
breath-taking.......2006-08-26
after experimenting with a lot of arabic grammar books I have finally met the most engaging one.I can not imagine the right words to give sufficient definition of the capabilities of this breath-taking book.every sentence is supplied with full transliteration.extensive,exhausive but not exhaushing.it is a must to buy book.
Product Description
Verb Clinic is designed to help you master the intricacies of verb forms and usage in Modern Standard Arabic, the formal Arabic written and spoken throughout the contemporary Arab World. With a digital library that includes the full conjugations of over 200 verbs, with all persons, all tenses, optional negation, related prepositions, and your choice of active or passive voice, Verb Clinic provides you with a quick and accurate reference tool for mastering Arabic verbs. The selection of verbs provides the patterns for conjugating virtually every Arabic verb in contemporary use. Verb Clinic has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that allows you quick access to the verbs that you need. Its language-learning features include: - A digitized library of over 20,000 individual verb conjugations - Quick access to perfect, imperfect, future, imperative, and passive forms of each verb through either browsing or searching the data - Your choice of English, Arabic, or Arabic transliteration as the primary interface script - CD-quality digital recordings of each word by a native speaker of Arabic, along with wave-form plots to provide visual and audio feedback - Ability to record and compare your own pronunciation, repeating as often as needed until you get it right - Ability to write, save, and print your own notes for each word - Printing capabilities that allow you to create fully customized practice sheets - Ability to track your own progress using the "Test Yourself" customizable quiz generator Included in the package: Verb Clinic - CD-ROM Bonus booklet: The Use of Verbs in Modern Standard Arabic Quick reference pronunciation card Access to extended online learning resources Printable grammar guide and drill sheets Installation instructions System requirements: Microsoft Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, or Macintosh OS X; Pentium 233 or faster processor, 32 MB RAM; 30 MB hard disk space available; 800 x 600 display; 16 bit color; 4x CD drive or h
Customer Reviews:
Great tool, unresponsive support.......2007-10-13
The good: This is a great tool for dealing with Arabic verbs, which are the backbone of any Semitic language, and especially Arabic.
The bad and the ugly: To protect themselves from piracy, the publishers of this software have required activation, and limited each activation code to two computers only. You are supposed to be able to reinstall the software on the same computer multiple times with no problem, and they do provide additional activation codes at no charge for more than two computers, but you have to rely upon them to respond to your e-mail requests for the additional codes, which based on my experience, could be a problem.
Recently I had to reformat my hard drive and reinstall the operating system and all software. Now when I try to activate Verb Clinic an error message refuses to activate based on the erroneous claim that I have already activated on two other computers. OK, stuff like that happens, but I have e-mailed the software publisher four times and received exactly zero responses. I am considering telephoning them in Cairo next, and if all else fails, I will be visiting friends in Cairo in March, 2008, and will pay a personal visit to the publisher's office.
Mixed Review.......2007-05-05
I'm writing this review with mixed feelings so please take my comments with the proverbial 'grain of salt.' On the one hand, I was impressed with the format of the software. The Verb Clinic has done an impressive job on putting together a program where the verbs are listed in a clear and precise manner. On the other hand, the first four verbs that I looked up were not to be found: like, live, love, study. This can be a little aggravating when you're using a text-book like Al-Kitab. Also (and here is the 'kicker' for me), the software can only be installed on two computers (the software is 'internet activated with a code so one cannot bypass this restriction). Now I'm really good about complying with copyright laws. If I install software on multiple computers, I make sure that the program is being 'run' on only one of them at a time. Unfortunately, between work, family, and school; I use three computers. Had I known about this restriction, I would not have purchased the software. Worse, when I go to upgrade my machines . . . what then? I'm sure it will probably be an inconvenient process (and not free)? At any rate, please take my comments for what they're worth. Cheers!
A real help!.......2007-02-15
Learning arabic on your own is quite a task. But with proper tools it becomes quite a lot easier. I chose to supplement the Kitaab fi tacallum al-arabiyaa series with the MSA Verb Clinic - and found really good help!
Impressive, and great self-quiz generator.......2006-08-31
I am a fan of the Vocab Clinic/Verb Clinic series, and this one did not disappoint me. There is nothing else I have found anywhere that comes close to this in thoroughness and versatility for learning ALL forms of Arabic verbs. The amount of conjugations is amazing. Look at it, print it, listen to it, record it, export it, write notes on it, autoplay it as you do soemthing else... very cool.
One of the most useful parts is the quiz generator - all kinds of settings for customizing how you want the computer to quiz you.
Also cool is that it is the first in the series to be Mac OS X compatible. I used the others on my PC, but this one on my Mac. :)
Product Description
In a compact, easy-to-use format, Modern Standard Arabic Grammar offers a convenient guide to grammar for any student of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the version of Arabic mostly commonly used in journalism, formal writing, and literature. Drawing on over a decade of experience as a full-time teacher of Arabic, Azza Hassanein explains the rules in straightforward English, illustrating usage with examples throughout. The book covers all the rules of grammar and morphology that students require for elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels of Arabic. As a compact guide, it is an ideal auxiliary, no matter what textbook the student is using. While students of the language will find Modern Standard Arabic Grammar extremely helpful, it is also a valuable tool for linguists who want to acquire a clear idea about the skeletal structure of the language, as well as translators who are working with written Arabic. Covering all the important grammatical rules of MSA, from nisba adjectives and nominal and verbal sentences to more complex constructions such as conditional sentences and the subjunctive, this unique handbook fills a real need for the growing number of people worldwide learning Arabic.
Book Description
Treasury of permission-free images portray the innocence and sentimentality of a bygone era. Idealized motifs, selected from authentic 19th-century sources, depict Santa, horse-drawn sleighs, floral wreaths, clasped hands, cherubs, and children — hugging pets, strolling, and playing musical instruments. A handy archive for immediate use. 381 full-color illustrations.
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