Berlitz New Basic French

Rating:
Summary: As Good as Phrase Books Get
Review: This book has all the practicality of the Rick Steves series, but is far more comprehensive. On my last trip to France, I took eight or nine different phrase books with me - largely because I was curious as to which ones were the best - and after about a week I just left the rest in the hotel and kept this one with me. The only thing it lacks is the vulgar words that you need to respond to someone who's been rude to you, but that's not what phrase books generally offer anyway (try "Merde" if you're interested in that stuff). If you, like me, don't know French, and you need one phrase book for a trip, take this one - it has every phrase you'll need, along with cultural information and tips on getting around town.