Rating: 
Summary: The best Russian traveller's phrasebook I've found.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Stamp of approval from a Russian
Review: My husband is Russian and I am trying to acquire at least a fundamental understanding of the language for when I visit his family this New Year. This book is invaluable, and my Russian husband has read it from cover to cover and has given it a big stamp of approval - in particular he feels that the transliterations are excellent in giving the student an accurate guide as to how the words should be pronounced. He also derives a lot of amusement from the various social descriptions in the book which he feels are spot-on.
I have to disagree VERY STRONGLY with the reviewer from Austria who said that the book is filled with typographical errors - I have not found this to be at all true! Is he confused by examples where the word is written in Russian as though it should be pronounced with an 'o' but the transliteration has it written with an 'a'? If this is his source of complaint then he ought to read the introductory chapters.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: nice small size for your pocket or backpack while traveling. has pronounciation - what some other Russian books lack.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: nice small size for your pocket or backpack while traveling. has pronounciation - what some other Russian books lack.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent reference and cross/reference
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Value
Review: 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...
Rating: 
Summary: A little worried...
Review: Okay, so I haven't left for Russia yet, but I'm looking through the book and nowhere in the book does it deal with passports, declarations, or registration, which has to be done once you enter Russia. Since you legally *have* to register within 72 hours of arriving in Russia, and presumably the only reason you'd get a phrasebook is if you were staying longer than a couple of days, it seems natural that they would at least have put to word "registration" in the dictionary. But *no*. Other than that, I mean, the phrase book looks great. I'll be able to pick up a hot Russian policewoman after being dragged off to the jail for failing to register. :-)
Rating:
Summary: This is the best of the pocket phrasebooks
Review: Our little Lonely Planet Russian phrasebook is well worn from 6 of 7 trips to Russia or other Russian speaking countries in the past couple of years. As far as I'm concerned, the "Lonely Planet" series of phrasebooks (and travel guides) are about the best. This small guide is packed with great stuff you can use starting with a simple pronunciation guide up front. It's sections on grammar are great, incorporating phrases most people would use in real life. The phonetic pronunciations for each phrase are easy to read, accurate and intuitive. Maybe the best thing is it's perfect size, just a hair over 3.5 by 5 inches. It will fit in a shirt pocket or anywhere else for that matter. Anyone that travels a lot overseas will tell you that size, weight, and utility are the key issues when considering anything you purchase to pack on the road. Generally we've found the Lonely Planet series to be the first we look for when heading off to a new destination. It will be a truly valuable asset to your travels.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best of the pocket phrasebooks
Review: Our little Lonely Planet Russian phrasebook is well worn from 6 of 7 trips to Russia or other Russian speaking countries in the past couple of years. As far as I'm concerned, the "Lonely Planet" series of phrasebooks (and travel guides) are about the best. This small guide is packed with great stuff you can use starting with a simple pronunciation guide up front. It's sections on grammar are great, incorporating phrases most people would use in real life. The phonetic pronunciations for each phrase are easy to read, accurate and intuitive. Maybe the best thing is it's perfect size, just a hair over 3.5 by 5 inches. It will fit in a shirt pocket or anywhere else for that matter. Anyone that travels a lot overseas will tell you that size, weight, and utility are the key issues when considering anything you purchase to pack on the road. Generally we've found the Lonely Planet series to be the first we look for when heading off to a new destination. It will be a truly valuable asset to your travels.
Rating: 
Summary: Be careful of some strong language...
Review: 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.
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