Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish

Rating:
Summary: Speaking, Not Just Quoting, Yiddish!
Review: After purchasing numerous Yiddish language tapes and books, I have finally found the source that teaches you, not just the nouns and blessings/curses, but the pronouns and verbs. This is a user-friendly book that gives a brief (5 chapters!) history of the language, then nose-dives into the language. It teaches the reader how to conjugate verbs, eschew common mistakes, and reading the Hebrew aleph-bet (this part is optional, don't be scared!). It is superbly written. I haven't stopped reading it yet!

Rating:
Summary: Speaking, Not Just Quoting, Yiddish!
Review: After purchasing numerous Yiddish language tapes and books, I have finally found the source that teaches you, not just the nouns and blessings/curses, but the pronouns and verbs. This is a user-friendly book that gives a brief (5 chapters!) history of the language, then nose-dives into the language. It teaches the reader how to conjugate verbs, eschew common mistakes, and reading the Hebrew aleph-bet (this part is optional, don't be scared!). It is superbly written. I haven't stopped reading it yet!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely superb, wonderfully informative and entertaining!
Review: Honestly, I was as put off by the "Complete Idiot's" part of the title as you probably are but the unfortunate choice of title shouldn't dissuade you from purchasing this book. It's absolutely superb, well-written and informative without being unduly pedantic. Every paragraph is lucidly presented and done so in a manner that is terrifically entertaining. Rabbi Blech's sense of humour is without parallel and you really should try both of his other books - "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jewish History and Culture" and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Judaism". I postponed purchasing all of these titles for quite some time because I really find that "Complete Idiot" designation to be both offensive and insulting towards its intended audience. The publishers really need to re-think this concept because it's leading people to avoid purchasing books that are a real treat to read. Perhaps they might want to rename the series "The Complete Novice's Guide to ...". These are intelligent books written for intelligent people and they should be marketed that way. This book is really a relatively effortless way to become fluent in Yiddish (or at least clever enough to fake it) provided you're willing to put in a little time and effort.

Rating:
Summary: learn a language without hearing it?
Review: I bought this book because I've enjoyed Benjamin Blech's other contributions to the "Complete Idiot's Guides": The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Judaism and the Complete Idiot's Guide to Jewish History and Culture. After reading these books, I was primed to learn some Yiddish--especially because it was the same author. When I picked the book up in the bookstore, I quickly noticed that it didn't have a CD, which I found odd. But with my faith in Blech, I forged ahead and bought the book. Maybe it didn't need a CD. Well, it does. I'm not Jewish, and I've never heard anyone speak Yiddish except for a few words here and there on a TV show or a movie. THIS BOOK NEEDS A CD. I guess most people who pick this book up have a bubbe somewhere that spoke Yiddish to them, or they can ask for help on pronounciation. But I'm not that person. Benjamin Blech is still a wonderful writer, and I would find no fault with this book if it was accompanied by a CD. I'm giving this 3 stars, however, because I feel that the omission of a CD for a LANGUAGE BOOK is a grave oversight on the part of the publisher.

Rating:
Summary: Charming and fun
Review: I gave this book to my twelve-year-old daughter, who just started learning Spanish as well -- she's half-Hispanic and all Jewish -- and she's been quoting it to me ever since. Thank you, Rabbi Blech, for such an enjoyable read. This book and "Haiku for Jews" are the current favorites in our house.

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Summary: For the Jew or the Goy
Review: I have been attempting to learn Hebrew, but I could never find a book that gave information on Yiddish. When I discovered this book in my local bookstore my heart did a dance, I absolutely love it. Rabbi Blech did a wondrous mitzvah in writing this instruction book for the Goy or the Jew. :)

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Summary: Rabbi Blech, YOU RULE! Thanks!
Review: This book is totally awsome! It is the funniest, most enjoyable learn-a-language book you will ever come accross. Rabbi Blech is completely on-the-ball with his Judaic knowledge which is interspersed within the book. And why shouldn't he be? He only wrote two Idiots Guides to Judaism, one which I have read and also highly recommend! (The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jewish History and Culture)

On page 84 he says "Ask your Yiddish-speaking bobe [grandmother] or zeyde [grandfather], and I can almost guarantee they'll be able to sing ['Di Grine Kuzine'] to you" and so I did. He was right! My Yiddish speaking grandparents got about half way through the song until they needed the bi-lingual printing of the song in The Idiots Guide to Learning Yiddish to help them remember the words!

Expect to read this book and learn the Yiddish language, culture and everything that goes with it (including why your Yiddish Mama won't let you go out in the cold without a sweater.) You will also increase your knowledge of the history of European Jews, laugh greatly (in some cases, so you do not cry) and have an overall great time reading the stories, songs, history, grammer lessons and vocabulary teachings.

Rating:
Summary: Fun and Easy
Review: This is a great book, it was very enjoyable and easy to learn from. It will definitely give you a working start with Yiddish.

Rating:
Summary: best introduction to yiddish yet
Review: Yiddish isn't really one of those languages you can just go out and learn. There isn't a nation where Yiddish is the official language. There aren't Yiddish language institutes that you can go study at. The best you will get is a few courses at college, or learning from your jewish family (that is if they speak it). This leaves the rest of us in sort of a dillema, which is the reason why I laud the Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish.

Nowhere else can you find such a user friendly introduction into a language such as Yiddish. The reader will find a brief history of the language, useful tips on how and when to use certain Yiddish phrases, and grammar that doesn't scare you away.

I recommend this book to anyone Jewish. I also recommend this to anyone who speaks the English language. Yiddish has had a tremendous impact on English, and the individual wanting to master the English language would do well to learn a little Yiddish.