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Rating: 
Summary: A stellar guide to usage
Review: I'm currently a self-studying Japanese student-- I've memorized the kana and a few kanji, but I need material to practice with. This book was a breath of fresh air. In the form of a long monologue, it explains a huge variety of things about Japanese grammar. You can skip around to learn a specific subject, or you can read it right through (although it is a dense book and this would take a while). The pace is very easy to keep up with, with constant examples and analogies so that you'll really understand what you've read. Because of how much it explains, I estimate that as a textbook, this would cost roughly $80. So, I urge you to go find a copy, new or used, as soon as possible.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: There was a huge hole in the market for a book like this, and it is now filled. What troubles me is that it seems to be out of print. Or is it still in print in the expensive, hardback version? Whatever the case, students of Japanese owe it to themselves to get their hands on a copy. It seems to do everything right. And what it lacks in cute pictures or multiple colors, it makes up for in content and intelligence of presentation. First of all, there is no romanji. Everything is carried out via katakana/hiragana and kanji (though the kanji has furigana so you will never be lost for the reading--a great touch). This is a huge plus. Romanji is so distracting, and if you already know the basics of the language, which this book assumes, you will know the scripts. Therefore, why use romanji? Secondly, the book is just plain useful for delving deeper into the language and understanding it. For instance, I opened it to a section of the differences in particles. Exactly what constitutes the use of "wa" "ga" or "wo"? How do you know which to use, other than just through having a "feeling" for which is correct? Well, this book will tell you. When a book this valuable (and going out of print??) comes along, I am almost tempted to get another copy in case something happens to my first one. If you can snap this up used, do it. If you have to pay $65 for a hardback edition, do that, too. Do whatever it takes to get this book. There just isn't anything else that can replicate it (although Kodansha's array of books comes close). I can't recommend this more highly.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: There was a huge hole in the market for a book like this, and it is now filled. What troubles me is that it seems to be out of print. Or is it still in print in the expensive, hardback version? Whatever the case, students of Japanese owe it to themselves to get their hands on a copy. It seems to do everything right. And what it lacks in cute pictures or multiple colors, it makes up for in content and intelligence of presentation. First of all, there is no romanji. Everything is carried out via katakana/hiragana and kanji (though the kanji has furigana so you will never be lost for the reading--a great touch). This is a huge plus. Romanji is so distracting, and if you already know the basics of the language, which this book assumes, you will know the scripts. Therefore, why use romanji? Secondly, the book is just plain useful for delving deeper into the language and understanding it. For instance, I opened it to a section of the differences in particles. Exactly what constitutes the use of "wa" "ga" or "wo"? How do you know which to use, other than just through having a "feeling" for which is correct? Well, this book will tell you. When a book this valuable (and going out of print??) comes along, I am almost tempted to get another copy in case something happens to my first one. If you can snap this up used, do it. If you have to pay $65 for a hardback edition, do that, too. Do whatever it takes to get this book. There just isn't anything else that can replicate it (although Kodansha's array of books comes close). I can't recommend this more highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful
Review: This is essentially a grammar, but it leaves out the simple basics and continues where a school grammar would stop. It assumes that you master the hiragana and katagana alphabets, but for the kanji there is almost always a pronounciation guide. It takes time to read, as the text is concentrated, but it's not difficult, and one gladly reads one chapter after the other. Generally it's both interesting and useful.
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