Russian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

If you're going on a trip to Russia and only want to take one book, this would be it. It has a small dictionary, information on aspects of Russian society, things to be wary of and even a page of "bad Russian"! Another nice aspect is that unlike some resources for travellers this actually fits in your pocket.

At the price it's a screaming bargain.

I used this when I just visited Russia and not only was the phrasebook/dictionary wonderful but the tips and tidbits were extremely helpful. It was nice to be able to make yourself understood without too much difficulty because it got the words just right.

This appears to be a book with lots of helpful information. Unfortunately, it also contains a full page of Russian profanity, with English translations, which of course my 7-year-old happened to read. That and some other off color material is unnecessary in a book such as this, so I'm returning it. Watch pages 22 and 73 in particular.

Excellent! My ONLY complaint is that I wish I could find a larger version of it. The dimensions of the book are great for a purse or stuffing in your back pocket, glove box and all-in-all is very handy; however, the print can be rather small... especially when you are trying desperately to look up a word in a restaurant under low light. I think a standard paperback size would be perfect. I would purchase both! One for my pocket and one for my packback. The book itself is also well made and is holding up under constant use which is more than I can say for those silly Berlitz books. I had two brand new Berliz books fall apart on me in less than a week due to bad bindings. Everything is in this book that you need to survive. Easy to use. Well Organized and well made. Great Book!

Of all the books I own on the Russian language, this one is the one I've been using the most. Of the people I speak to when I use my knowledge of Russian, this book gives me the correct forms of the words where others were wrong, leading me to be corrected by my neighborhood "comrades". While other books I own are missing something that I need, this one covers just about everything. If you want to look up an english word for the Russian equivalent, you go to the great two-way dictionary in the back, and what's better, if you hear a word you DON'T know in conversation, and you nodded and faked it...you can go look up the word written in Russian using the easily understood English phonetics, and see what the word means. A great buy at amazon.com for the person who wants to learn Russian, for whatever level you are at, or aspire to reach. If you are only going to purchase one book, make it this one. I HIGHLY recommend it.