Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook: With Two-Way Dictionary

OK, you are not going to learn Russian from this book. You are NOT even going to have simple conversations using it. What it will enable the non-speaking traveler to do is to survive in Russia by being able to look up and correctly speak ONE SENTENCE questions and statements (phrases).....

However, if the person you are talking with responds semi-fast and in normal fashion(i.e., not simple sentences ), the book will not really help your listening comprehension, and you will usually be lost.

On the other hand, if you already know some Russian, then such a book is really useful as a quick reference and handy dictionary, and at the price, it is truly a bargain. The wide range of topics do really cover most of what a tourist would need (and then some, with topics on dating, swearing, and the Russian gay community) In addition, the pronunciation/stress of the words is correctly given.

However, a word of warning for the non-speakers...the authors have given preference to simplicity of phrases and ease in learning rather than correct meaning. The meanings they give for a phrase are not always, strictly speaking, correct, but are often only approximations...but this is certainly understandable since this is a phrase book only.

For example, on the inside cover, they give a "Quick Reference" list of phrases...The phrase for "I'd like" is given as "mne nada", which is close, but not exactly correct. Correctly translated, this is "I need" (Literally, "for me, necessary")...This is a considerably less polite way to ask for something than the correct "ya ha tele be" which in fact means "I would like", but which is perhaps more complex to learn and remember.
The authors have a section on "bad Russian" (swearing), which is nice, but what the tourist needs more is a section on "polite Russian", because really a Native or Local is more likely to respond to a kind and polite request from a struggling tourist rather than a gruff, impolite phrase...

I bought this book for my brother, a college student who was going to St. Petersburg. He says that the book was great for his trip. I also liked the size of the book, small enough to fit into a pocket, and the sturdy binding. I also appreciated the fact that it had some "younger" russian in it for someone of his age.

nice small size for your pocket or backpack while traveling. has pronounciation - what some other Russian books lack.

I liked this book. It has a wide range of words and phrases that you may get into as a tourist. The advice regarding culture is extremely useful.

Unlike one of the other reviewers, I appreciate the fact that the writers included some profanity. . . I'm 22 years old, like going out, and appreciate the company of the opposite sex. If you're going to Russia as a backpacker or a tourist, this book is great. If you're going as a missionary, or are easily offended by real life, get something else.

I have literally spent over $200 on books, CDs and computer programs over the last 2 months trying to teach myself Russian. This little $8 book is the one I have been looking for.

Until today I haven't even known how to ask (in Russian) to speak to someone on the phone. It took me about 10 seconds to open this book for the first time and find it ("pazavite, pazhalsta Olga"). In the two hours between then and now, I have found the answers to every question I have had about Russian since I started. Each phrase has the English, the transliterated Russian, and the actual Russian. This is a HUGE help to learning how to read and pronounce the language. This book EXPLAINS what the different verb cases are (like, what an imperfective verb is), as well as pronouns, adjectives, gender, plurality, familiarity, inflection, capitalization, regional accents, etc. It even has a transliterated Russian to English dictionary for looking up words you hear but don't know how to spell, and the book is well referenced in its index. It is incredibly thorough and to-the-point. It has a whole section on Dating, meeting people, and discussing interests (Yes, my one and only reason to learn Russain is about 5'5", blonde, brilliant and 8 time zones away). As an example of this book's completeness, in the Dating section it includes common affectionate names, and phrases like "don't stop" and others I probably can't mention here.
In the Food section, it even mentions important details like asking about vegetarian meals. To top it all off, the book also has little boxes on many pages that explain relevant Russian history and culture.
The author also has a great sense of humor. In the Food section, there are some phrases to use if you have bad food or service. I particularly like "I'm very sorry to hear all the waiters died."
One last comment; this book is so inexpensive, you might want to get two, just in case you loose one in your travels.

da svidanya! (good bye.)