Rating: 
Summary: Japanese for business people
Review: I watched my teenage daughter learn Japanese from this series over the past year, and I am amazed about how quickly she learned to speak elementary Japanese using these textbooks. I recommend those new to the language to begin not with the Kana (Japanese symbols) version, but with the English phonetic version. Until the basic Kana characters and their pronunciation are mastered, this book can be daunting, especially if one is attempting to learn the language independently. Still, the transition must be made eventually. My daughter's Japanese class began with the phonetic version and then moved halfway through the year to the Kana version. (My daughter still feels it necessary to refer occasionally to the English textbook.)I found the text to be straight-forward and the directions easy to understand. The dialogues are geared more toward business people than those interested in, say, history. You will learn how to introduce people, give (and understand!) directions, buy items in a store, etc. Despite this practicality, this book should not be confused with a crash course in travelor's phrases. Although the vocabulary is biased toward business (one of my daughter's first Japanese words meant conference room), this book aims to give the student a serious and solid foundation for the eventual mastery of Japanese. In this version, katakana and hirigana characters are used in all dialogues, examples, vocabulary building, and grammar, although brief instructions are written in English. (Kanji is reserved for more advanced textbooks.) I recommend those serious about learning Japanese to purchase both this, the Kana version, and the English version. If you can only afford one and if you have no basis in the language, you might want to buy the phonetic textbook instead. However, since the mastery of Japanese characters is essential for progressing, this book is a valuable tool.
Rating: 
Summary: Kana Version - Best Version
Review: Japanese for Busy People - Kana version provides an excellent framework for commencing a self-directed (or not) study of Japanese. It requires the reader to have a working knowledge of the hiragana and katakana syllabaries, as all the Japanese text appears in this format. The kana version allows the reader to grasp all elements of Japanese pronunciation without having to worry about dodgy or confusing romanisations. Each section is creatively and efficiently layed out, there are plenty of exercises, and the script (Roman and Japanese) is clear. An added feature is the number of links and inroads to many other aspects of learning Japanese; there is a comprehensive appendix section which includes some Kanji (chinese characters), a dictionary and grammatical notes. I reccomend using this text with "A Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese" (Tuttle) and a good English to Japanese dictionary, as an excellent beginning for learning Nihongo. Ja ne, Bai Bai!
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best introductory book out there.
Review: Reading some of the negative reviews about this motivated me to write. The first and foremost thing about learning a language is that there is no "instant method". Learning a new language (especially when you're not in a place where the language is used regularly) requires a lot of focus, dedication, and effort. So how does this book fit into all this? It provides you with a solid concept of basic Japanese grammar and vocabulary. You're not going to have mastered Japanese by the time you finish this book, but (with the proper amount of studying) you should be able to read and write _basic_ Japanese sentances. The speech style of the book is primarily in the formal/polite tone. Some might think that this is a downside, but speaking informally to a stranger in Japan is somewhat rude. More advanced topics (informal speech and the like) are covered in Books II & III (I highly recommend those also). The important thing though is to make sure that you have a setting in which you can interactively use (i.e. speak, read, & write) Japanese. While watching anime, reading manga, and the like might help a bit, nothing replaces real interaction with real people. When you finish the Book I, I recommend going over it again to refresh yourself on any concepts that you might have forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best introductory book out there.
Review: Reading some of the negative reviews about this motivated me to write. The first and foremost thing about learning a language is that there is no "instant method". Learning a new language (especially when you're not in a place where the language is used regularly) requires a lot of focus, dedication, and effort. So how does this book fit into all this? It provides you with a solid concept of basic Japanese grammar and vocabulary. You're not going to have mastered Japanese by the time you finish this book, but (with the proper amount of studying) you should be able to read and write _basic_ Japanese sentances. The speech style of the book is primarily in the formal/polite tone. Some might think that this is a downside, but speaking informally to a stranger in Japan is somewhat rude. More advanced topics (informal speech and the like) are covered in Books II & III (I highly recommend those also). The important thing though is to make sure that you have a setting in which you can interactively use (i.e. speak, read, & write) Japanese. While watching anime, reading manga, and the like might help a bit, nothing replaces real interaction with real people. When you finish the Book I, I recommend going over it again to refresh yourself on any concepts that you might have forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: Great for the serious student
Review: The book allows you to learn at a good pace, using a fair amount of repetition through exercises and a quiz at the end of each lesson. The vocabulary is relevant, and the reader is expected to learn it at a reasonable rate, unlike some other books. Although, if you want to be able to speak fluently volume one will not be enough. The only reason I gave the book four stars instead of five is that it is almost all in the polite form of the language. There is little of the casual form used when speaking with non-business friends. However, this is by no means a crucial fallback, since the differences are by no means great. Assuming the reader is dedicated, this book acts as an excellent tool both for vocabulary and for grammar. Gambatte!
Rating:
Summary: A useful textbook for the highly motivated
Review: There are two universal truths of acquiring a second language. First, there is no "quick method." It takes time and work. Second, self-study only gets you so far. Language is about communication, and that requires more than one person. With this in mind, "Japanese for Busy People I : Kana Version" is a fine supplement to Japanese learning. While you will never learn Japanese solely from this product, the book will help you study and practice. It is definitely one of the best of it's type. Taking the plunge into kana is essential for learning Japanese. This book does not teach you kana of any type, but assumes that you have learned them elsewhere (preferably from the kana workbook in this series). Hiragana and Katakana are used. There is no Kanji, as this is a beginners level text. There is a focus on traveling businessmen, and most of the activities focus on traveling and getting around an office. However, the vocab used in these situations is useful and easily transfers to other situations. Like all self-study books, you will gain as much out of "Japanese for Busy People I : Kana Version" as you put into it. Learning with a group of people is easier and more fun. This book easily adapts to a group, and would work best if you and a few friends got together to practice.
Rating:
Summary: A useful textbook for the highly motivated
Review: There are two universal truths of acquiring a second language. First, there is no "quick method." It takes time and work. Second, self-study only gets you so far. Language is about communication, and that requires more than one person. With this in mind, "Japanese for Busy People I : Kana Version" is a fine supplement to Japanese learning. While you will never learn Japanese solely from this product, the book will help you study and practice. It is definitely one of the best of it's type. Taking the plunge into kana is essential for learning Japanese. This book does not teach you kana of any type, but assumes that you have learned them elsewhere (preferably from the kana workbook in this series). Hiragana and Katakana are used. There is no Kanji, as this is a beginners level text. There is a focus on traveling businessmen, and most of the activities focus on traveling and getting around an office. However, the vocab used in these situations is useful and easily transfers to other situations. Like all self-study books, you will gain as much out of "Japanese for Busy People I : Kana Version" as you put into it. Learning with a group of people is easier and more fun. This book easily adapts to a group, and would work best if you and a few friends got together to practice.
Rating:
Summary: A useful textbook for the highly motivated
Review: There are two universal truths of acquiring a second language. First, there is no "quick method." It takes time and work. Second, self-study only gets you so far. Language is about communication, and that requires more than one person. With this in mind, "Japanese for Busy People I : Kana Version" is a fine supplement to Japanese learning. While you will never learn Japanese solely from this product, the book will help you study and practice. It is definitely one of the best of it's type. Taking the plunge into kana is essential for learning Japanese. This book does not teach you kana of any type, but assumes that you have learned them elsewhere (preferably from the kana workbook in this series). Hiragana and Katakana are used. There is no Kanji, as this is a beginners level text. There is a focus on traveling businessmen, and most of the activities focus on traveling and getting around an office. However, the vocab used in these situations is useful and easily transfers to other situations. Like all self-study books, you will gain as much out of "Japanese for Busy People I : Kana Version" as you put into it. Learning with a group of people is easier and more fun. This book easily adapts to a group, and would work best if you and a few friends got together to practice.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not perfect
Review: This book covers the grammar very nicely and many people I've known to use it love it. However, it really depends who you are. The book is geared more to business Japanese - which is great if that's what you need, but boring otherwise. My major complaint with this book is it's presentation of vocabulary. It simply throws hundreds of random words at you many of which you don't really need. Having said that, the grammar is clear and the exercises are good. Probably 3/5 if you don't like random vocab and aren't interested in business. 4/5 otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: Best Language Book I Ever Bought
Review: This book is very good, I don't know how to say it other than that. I recomend it more than the normal version BUT you must first know ALL heragana and it helps to be in the process of learning katakana (but it is easy to learn as you go). This version differs from the normal version in that there is no translation of the heragana into phonetical sounds, as in you wont see "ohiyou gozaimasu" but only the heragana equlivent. they explain that it is proven to help learn the language if you just through out the alphabet. Not to confuse anyone, the book is in english helping you learn japanese, and in my opnion it is very good. I recomend this book to anyone
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