Rating: 
Summary: For your own edification
Review: Many benefits can be derived from learning Spanish as a 2nd language, not the least of which being able to communicate with those in America who either refuse to or are unable to learn English. Having had no formal Spanish training since 8th grade, I took it upon myself to learn Spanish on my own. Learning a 2nd language may prove too daunting a task for most, but if you have the initiative and intelligence, it makes for quite a rudimentary task - with the help of Paul Pimsleur, of course.For your own edification, Spanish can be learned, albeit not without effort, without formal training - much of which is useless anyway. Pimsleur teaches the essential Spanish needed for traveling, working, dining, and awkward social situations. The CDs make for an easy learn for anyone with half of a brain. That being said, since one is not provided with a book for the lessons, it is incumbent upon the listener to look up and study any vocabulary and/or verbs that you may find confusing. I would give it 5 stars if only it were accompanied by a more thorough book that coincided with its lessons. Nonetheless, I still feel that this is the best audio reference available for learning beginning Spanish.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Castilian - What Happened ?
Review: My CDs arrived and I was very excited and happy to start out. However, my Spanish wife had a listen and said "That's South American, not Spanish" -- eg. Gra-See-Ahs instead of Gra-thi-ahs. Now, I understand that there is a huge market for South American Spanish, but I bought this series based on the fact that they are supposed to be Castillian Spanish (from Spain). I love South America, hell I even like the southern drawl from the US, but I wanted to study the spanish accent from Spain, and I have been highly disappointed with this product's representation. Perhaps Pimsleur should sell more than one Spanish edition, as the language is too rich -- and it is localized whether they want to hear that or not. These are not cheap, and you'd better know what you're getting -- definitely try this before you buy, do not buy sight unseen off this site like I did.
Rating:
Summary: Where to get the boot/script?
Review: My only complaint is there's no book or script. Many times i cannot remember what they are saying in CD until I look up a dictionary. I think it would be much more effective if it comes with book or script so that I can read through the conversation before and after listening to the CDs.
For those who said it comes with manual/book/script, where did you guys get them?
Rating: 
Summary: Great, but make sure you buy a decent dictionary to go with.
Review: Pimsleur I, II, and III are a wonderful way to learn spoken Castillian Spanish. That said, you should invest in a pocket dictionary and--if you can afford it--a copy of "501 Spanish Verbs" in order to better develop a sense of the more complex constructions. And you should absolutely pick up those reference tomes if you are someone who visualizes how words look in order to remember them. The Pimsleur approach can actually be frustrating to word-visualizers who don't have a written reference they can turn to.
Rating:
Summary: Pimsleur's the Best
Review: Pimsleur's the best for learning to converse in a foreign language quickly. I had 2 1/2 years of Spanish in high school and 2 more semesters in college, but I could barely read and I could speak even less-- I spent too much time learning what a past-participle was or memorizing the vocabulary for every relative in my extended family. Pimsleur focuses on conversation.
I should mention, in an effort to try different things, I've also attempted to learn Spanish through Berlitz, Michel Thomas, Teach Yourself, Lonely Planet, and Living Language. All of these methods would have taught me more vocabulary than Pimsleur (Pimsleur's main weakness) had any of it actually stuck in my head... but it didn't. The Pimsleur method is superior to any of those competitors for learning to speak a foreign language.
Rating:
Summary: Miami Spanish
Review: The accent heard in the lessons is actually what we in Mexico call "Miami Spanish", a variety of Spanish that isn't native to any particular country but rather the result of a blend of accents taken to the US by all the Latin American immigrants (with an emphasis on Caribbean and Central American accents). I think it would be useful in Mexico and perhaps in Argentina, but certainly not in Spain, where vocabulary, pronunciation and speed make the language almost a different one.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Expensive, Too Little Content and No Written Material!
Review: The learning technique is decent but lacks vocabulary for buying food or shopping, as well as numbers so I can pay for my food!
No written material is provided for review or visual reinforcement. While it's nice to learn only from the CDs, a back-up written manual would help immensely since once does see written Spanish everywhere, in the US as well as abroad.
There is a lack of versatility in the teaching structure which doesn't allow one to form basic Spanish sentences in a rapid and simple way.
Last and not least, the price for this course is outrageous!
Over two hundred and thirty dollars.
My opinion is that there are many good language courses on the market for one third this price that will get you similar if not better results.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent course.
Review: The quickest and easiest way (that I know of) to learn a language. Its all audio so you don't have to stare at a book. Just hit play, listen and repeat and you're learning spanish. I just finished the 30 lesson course yesterday and I am looking forward to getting the second set. I recommend this course only to those who are serious about learning spanish. If you don't really want to learn spanish then don't buy this course. Get one of those tourist phrase books/tapes instead.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Programs Out There
Review: There are a lot of programs that teach you Spanish, but this is one of the most efficient out there. Learning a language obviously takes time and practice, but Pimsleur's method of almost random repeating makes for a very efficient learning curve. Most programs will have you simply listen and repeat. This program has you listen, repeat, try another phrase to listen and repeat, and then go back to the first phrase to listen and repeat. This causes you to be fully engaged and accessing your memory instead of just mindlessly repeating phrases only to forget them when you need them.
Overall, this program can be a little pricier than others, but is well-worth the extra money spent. I have tried many other programs and would have easily saved money just biting the bullet and purchasing this one. I love this program, especially if you are just trying to learn to speak it (instead of reading or study the language).
Rating:
Summary: Start Here Before Spending the Big $$$
Review: There is little doubt that The Pimsleur CDs for Spanish I will get you off the ground and learning Spanish painlessly (if not exactly rapidly). If the thought of learning Spanish while being stuck in rush hour traffic, or driving across country, is appealing to you, then Pimsleur is the good stuff. Having said that, I think it pays to be aware of a few things before making the Big Purchase. Because the price tag for these CDs is high, you might find it helpful, as I did, to try Pimsleur's "Quick and Simple" set of CDs for Spanish first. Those CDs duplicate (with minor differences) the first 8 lessons of the Spanish I collection. So if you wish to be cautious, that is probably the best way to get started with Pimsleur products, rather than buying the more expensive, more comprehensive products right away. You'll get a sense of whether this is the route you want to go if you want to learn more Spanish. Whether you start with the Spanish I package, or the Quick and Easy CDs, you will be exposed you to the heart of what makes the Pimsleur method unique and painless. The approach is based on (1) The Principle of Anticipation (a mastery technique that is different than rote recall), (2) Graduated Interval Recall (an approach that provides new stuff to memorize at optimal intervals), (3) Core Vocabulary (an efficient, optimal selection of a small number of key words that you need to know, as opposed to an extensive vocabulary), (4) and "Organic Learning" (learn speech, eg sound, rhythm, intonations, as opposed to a bunch of textbook gramatical rules). I should add that there's something subtly humorous about the content of the CDs, so if you have a sarcastic or wicked sense of humor, you won't be totally bored. Like many, I found the approach efficient and useful, and I had lots of fun with the CDs as I drove around town blathering away in Spanish. But it is worth emphasizing that Pimsler is not the only game in town. There are other very high-quality competing approaches (e.g. Platiquemos Spanish), that are generally less expensive. On Platequemos, for instance, the speakers sound like they are from Central and South America, and one gets the impression that they are teaching a version of Spanish that is useful in the Americas. I think it pays to be aware that with Pimsleur you are learning a very general form of Spanish that does not always play well in some Spanish-speaking counries. In the lessons, for instance, you are quickly instructed to say "Encantado" (pleased to meet you) after meeting someone. When I mentioned this to some Mexican friends, they just laughed and said "you probably won't get killed for saying that, but from know on just say 'mucho gusto' and nobody will get hurt!" A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing! The culture-specific meaning of some words is a big issue. Take words like "familia," "confianza," "amigo," "amor," and "tu." We may think we understand the implications of these familiar words, especially after learning a little Spanish, but newcomers are unlikely to understand their deep and subtle meanings within the context of (for example) Mexican culture. So, I think it pays to learn phrases and code words from a specific culture or country that most strongly interests you (something you'll never get from plodding through the simple and general Pimsleur approach). To this end, there are books that often discuss a specific country's idiomatic expressions or slang. For instance, I've been interested in learning more about Mexico's version of Spanish, as well as its culture. I benefitted greatly from Boye Lafayette De Mente's book, "There's a Word For It In Mexico" (also marketed as "The NTC's Dictionary of Mexican Cultural Code Words"). In the case of Mexican Spanish and culture, Octavio Paz' "The Labyrinth of Solitude" is excellent, too. Travel guides for specific countries, such as the Insight Guides, often provide a few words of slang that are unique to specific regions. It pays to have a fluent spanish speaker as a co-worker, friend and/or lover while you are learning from the CDs, as they might, on a good day, rescue you from whatever linguistic cliff Pimsleur sends you over. If you don't yet have a Spanish speaking lover, you may need to purchase some additional resourses, e.g. "Wicked Spanish", "The Lover's Dictionary," or "Hot International Phrases" to help you get into/out of trouble. And don't forget to buy every Shakira CD that has ever been recorded! Don't be fooled by the $$ coupon that comes with the Pimsleur CDs. In my experience, a much better price can be found using Amazon.com.
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