Rating: 
Summary: INDISPENSABLE
Review: An indispensable resource for Russian language learners. Highly useful and detailed grammatical information, extensive vocabulary and accompanying-necessary-information on usage as well as irregularities in form or usage (declensions or conjugations). Having compared many Russian and English dictionaries this is by far the most comprehensive resource you can get in a user-friendly and compact format at a reasonable price. This is one of the best foreign language dictionaries I have used in my extensive foreign language studies. The dictionary is touted as a first of its kind geared to American English rather than British. I don't know how true this is, but as an American, I know it was useful to me either way. This book eased my days as a student considerably... I loved my old one so much I passed it on to a friend and got a new one last time I was in the States.
Rating: 
Summary: Chosen by the Defense Language Institute...
Review: and other reasons not to buy this book. It has its place and, in general, is not a bad dictionary for a begining Russian student. I relied on it through both the Basic and Intermediate Russian courses at DLI and even managed to get a hard-cover version in Minsk. I too would have said, "great dictionary" until I got hold of the Muller/Smirnitsky combo and got to where I could understand the entries in Ozhegov. If you're serious about learning Russian, nothing less than Smirnitsky will do. Keep Katzner and Oxford on hand but don't go to them first. Also consider investing in a Daum and Schenk Russian Verbs dictionary if you are worried about participles and verb government/usage. I have yet to find anything better.
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Summary: Best R-E/E-R Dictionary in print!
Review: As an ESL instructor, I find it important for my students to learn to use a dictionary. I have always recommended the Random House R-E/E-R Dictionary because of its price....it was a good deal. The Katzner dictionary is much better however, and Amazon's price is exceptional. The dictionary has easy to read references starting from either language ... which my Russian speaking students find indispensible. Non-Russian speakers, like myself, can even use the English section to look up Russian words.
Rating: 
Summary: For the price, I expected better
Review: For a dictionary priced in the same vicinity as the Oxford Russian-English, Katzner fails to deliver the quality. Grammatical forms are, as a rule, not provided. Idiomatic examples are paltry. Worst of all, Katzner perpetuates some of the mistranslations from the Soviet-era Smirnitsky, from which he evidently copied uncritically. Katzner is adequate for most students, but if you're willing to settle for a dictionary that will often leave you high and dry and at times mislead you entirely, why not choose one of the much cheaper mass-produced titles? Why pay Oxford prices for Berlitz quality?
Rating:
Summary: Keeping a precious paperback dictionary intact.
Review: Glued bindings are characteristic of most paperbound books nowadays, even outstanding dictionaries. Another reviewer complained about his Katzner dictionary falling apart because it wasn't sewn. I foresaw this possibility and sewed mine before subjecting it to use. You can do it yourself, or ask a tool-savvy friend. Clamp the book between two pieces of wood and drill with 3/32-inch drillbitt in four places, about 1/8th inch from the binding, about one inch from the ends, the two holes about 1/2 inch apart. Thread any heavy thread, waxed shoe-repair twine, or fishline, twice or more through each set of holes and tie securely with a square knot. Now you can open the book without fear of cracking the glued binding.
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Summary: Disappointed
Review: I am very disappointed that this dictionary does not give the phonetic pronunciation of the Russian words in English.
Rating: 
Summary: Strong on vocabulary, weak on usage
Review: I found the book very helpful for translating words. However, there's much to be desired with regards to how to use the words. Not enough information on grammar (cases taken, etc.). But very good for basic vocabulary.
Rating: 
Summary: Content 5, Binding 0
Review: I have no argument with the content of this dictionary; it serves most of my needs. But I like to mark up my books and make notes in the margins; these help me remember things over the years. But after 1 1/2 years of use, this "perfect bound" dictionary is falling apart. It has no signatures, no threaded binding, so the pages that are merely glued in tend to fall out after repeated opening and closing of the book. This type of binding is acceptable on a short cheap paperback novel that you'll read one time, but on a thousand-page dictionary that you want to consult for years?! Language dictionaries are opened and closed thousands of times and must have the best of binding. This has the worst and all my notes are now lost for all practical purposes as I must change to a new intact dictionary. I'm sorry for Katzner, ... Not recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great American English, shoddy binding
Review: I have to agree with those who enthuse about this dictionary's idiomatic, American English translations. This is the only dictionary to use for Americans who are dealing with contemporary Russian usage, though it is less useful for those who are dealing with historical or literary translation.However, I also share the dismay of the reviewer whose dictionary fell to pieces after a year. Mine has been in this sorry state for years and I've actually lost a few pages of words beginning with "ka"! Kak im ne stydno?? Even a paperback can be sewn into its binding rather than glued. Unfortunately, I have no suggestions. I don't recommend Oxford for the type of translation I do but the Katzner hardcover is apparently out of print. Pomogite nam! Give us a new hardcover edition!
Rating:
Summary: Best available for American English speakers
Review: I have used Katzner's dictionaries since 1988 and have never encountered any problems. Before that, for the first three years, I used a variety of British variant dictionaries and encountered frequent problems. Nothing is more frustrating to me than translating a Russian word/idiom I don't know into an ENGLISH word I don't know or at least, don't fully understand. My fellow American students along the way all felt the same: Katzner was a God-send. My only critique of the Katzner dictionaries is that I wish they provided more assistance with the participial forms created from the verbs.
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