Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish

Book Description

Anyone can read, write, and speak Spanish in only a few short weeks with this unique and proven method, which completely eliminates rote memorization and boring drills.

Original B & W illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Best beginner's book! Helped me a lot.......2007-09-21

I'm very happy I came across this book. It is probably the best of all 20-something Spanish learning books I own. It is FULL of information and exercises that will help anyone who wants to learn learn quickly and quite easily. Like other people have said, I am surprised I've retained so much information. Because of this book, which goes through a lot of the verb tenses and a lot of the common verbs as well as vocabulary (from the beginning of the book, you find out you actually already know hundreds of words in spanish, because they're the same in english: words with certain endings), I'm able to express myself and have conversations with others without making errors because everything is explained so well and she shows the english equivalents, and the little reminder cards the author tells us to make to glance at when we have a moment as well as the variety of exercises and tests help me a lot to remember what I've learned. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn the language. It will help get you off to a quick, solid start. Even though Magic Key is just a book, the author has a pronunciation key that is very useful. Ex) The ll (double l) is pronounced Y as in "yes". Because of that and the reminders throughout the book on where to stress syllables for different words, I'm much more confident when I speak than I would otherwise be. If you are interested in learning the language and you know either nothing or are just a beginner with some knowledge, I highly recommend that you add this book to your learning library! After going through this book, I went through the "Practice Makes Perfect" Verb Tenses and Pronouns and Preposition books which really helped me with more in depth grammar. I think those books are best to learn after a book like Magic Key though because I think Magic Key will help *prepare* you for more in depth grammar books.

The best for older ones to learn.......2007-08-31

This is the 1st review I have ever written but, this book is so good I had to tell you. I'm an older one and had bought many, many different books, CD's for computer and Car to help me learn Spanish. But they all wanted to bog me down with the verb tables. I barley remember the specifics for English verbs. This book teaches you how to use the verbs correctly without all the rules. From the very beginning to the end it gives practical help. I appreciated learning the many words I harldy know in Spanish section and how to recognize them. The best book for anyone that just wants an easy way to learn how to communicate.

Great service.......2007-08-23

This book was shipped to my missionary son who will be teaching in Spanish. Great service. Thanks so much.

Good but.......2007-07-18

The book is good, however I feel that Madrigal spent too much time on the past & present tense & not enough on the more difficult ones, the imperfect, conditional, imperative & subjunctive. Seems like she rushed through those tenses.

This book delivers everything it promises EXCEPT for one thing . . ........2007-06-10

The jacket of this book says that it will teach the user how to read, write and speak Spanish in just a few short weeks. It also promises to teach the student how to convert English into Spanish in an instant; start forming sentences after the very first lesson; identify thousands of Spanish words within a few weeks of study; travel to Spanish-speaking countries with confidence and comfort; and develop perfect pronunciaton.

I have improved my reading, writing and speaking with this book. After a few short lessons of this book, I also found it easier to form more sentences in Spanish. The book also teaches you how to increase your knowledge of Spanish vocabulary by showing you how to easily change many English words into Spanish words. One technique teaches the student to convert English into Spanish by taking words that the student already knows that end with "ist" and changing the words to end with "ista" in order to form words in Spanish. So since you already know the English words "dentist," "artist," "communist," "pianist," you also know the Spanish words "dentista," "artista," "comunista," and "pianista." I found that this technique and similar techniques that this book taught me were very helpful. Concerning the book's promise to enable the reader to travel to Spanish speaking countries with confidence and comfort, I really don't know. But I will find out later this summer when I take a cruise to Mexico.

There was only one thing that I didn't find that the book did not do a good job of as it had promised. It promises to teach the reader how to "develop perfect pronunciation" by using the book's "handy pronunciation key." The book's pronunciation key was somewhat helpful to read but don't count on it helping you to "develop perfect pronunciation." You will need a lot more that than this book to accomplish that. For developing perfect pronunciation I recommend using Learning Spanish Like Crazy Level One and Nivel Dos. The Learning Spanish Like Crazy lessons have helped me to develop close to perfect pronunciation in a natural way. I am so confident about my pronunciation in Spanish that I don't need the approval of native Spanish speakers to compliment me on my accent. When I listen to other Americans that are learning Spanish or Americans that supposedly already know Spanish, and I hear them speak my reaction is WOW! My accent sounds so much better than their accent from using LSLC. But the one drawback of LSLC is that it didn't help me much with reading and writing. For reading and writing, you will need this book to fill in the gaps. I also recommend the FSI Programmatic Spanish courses for learning how to read and write in Spanish.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Cicero: Select Letters (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics)

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Cicero: Select Letters (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics)
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Cicero: Philippics I-II (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics)
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ASIN: 0521295246

Book Description

Professor Shackleton Bailey is renowned for his major scholarly editions of Cicero’s letters already published by Cambridge University Press. This selection from the complete correspondence is designed specifically for students at universities and in the upper forms at schools, and offers them a representative introduction to one of the most varied and most important literary correspondences in any language. In choosing letters for inclusion the editor concentrates on Cicero as a man and writer and on his relationship with his contemporaries, but he has also included letters which deal with people and events of special significance in the turbulent political history of the period. The edition includes an introduction, the text of the letters with critical notes, and a commentary which gives help with linguistic problems as well as elucidating the historical and social background.

Kommos V: The Monumental Minoan Buildings at Kommos (Kommos: An Excavation of the South Coast of Crete)

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Kommos V: The Monumental Minoan Buildings at Kommos (Kommos: An Excavation of the South Coast of Crete)

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691121230

Book Description

Kommos, an ancient site on the island of Crete, is known both for its important Greek sanctuary and for its earlier role as a major Minoan harbor town. This final book in the Princeton series focuses on the results of several decades of excavation at three of the site's monumental public buildings during the Minoan period. Of these, one has the characteristics of a "Minoan palace," a large central court surrounded by wings. Two stoas on either side of the court may have accommodated spectators watching formal events unfold within the court. Other rooms were used for storage. Vessels from the "palace," but also, and mainly, from two buildings that succeeded it in the fourteenth century BC, originate elsewhere in the Aegean and as far as Anatolia, Cyprus, Egypt, Syro-Palestine, and Sardinia, attesting to the site's major role in international trade. One of the later buildings is characterized by six huge rectangular spaces that were likely used to shelter ships during the nonsailing months. This kind of structure, from that period, has never before been found in Crete. Equally unique is the range of imported pottery.

The results of the excavation are recorded in detail in chapters commenting on the architecture, on the "palace's" painted mural decoration, and on other finds representing a wide range of activities, including the likely production of purple dye, valued for trade amongst the elite. Well-stratified deposits provide a unique opportunity to establish local ceramic developments and to use them to date events that are being considered in terms of sociopolitical and economic perspectives encompassing the Mediterranean and the Near East. This book, which completes a survey of more than six hundred years of history, will prove especially useful to specialists in the Minoan era and to all students of the ancient world.

Minimus Pupil's Book: Starting out in Latin (Cambridge Latin Texts)

Average customer rating:

A little frustrating
Good for schools and homeschools
Excellent Resource - BUT you must have the audio for pronunciation (more)
Long live Minimus
Great for beginners

Minimus Pupil's Book: Starting out in Latin (Cambridge Latin Texts)
Barbara Bell
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Minimus Audio CD
Minimus Teacher's Resource Book: Starting out in Latin (Cambridge Latin Texts)
Minimus Secundus Pupil's Book: Moving on in Latin
Learning Latin through Mythology
Minimus Audio Cassette: Starting out in Latin

ASIN: 0521659604

Book Description

This elementary Latin course for 7-10 year olds combines a basic introduction to the Latin language with material on the history and culture of Roman Britain. Highly illustrated, the book contains a mixture of stories and myths, grammar explanations and exercises, and background cultural information. Pupils are drawn into the material as they read about the lives of a family living in a community at Vindolanda; the adventures of the children and the family cat and mouse provide interest throughout. As well as offering a lively introduction to Latin and classical studies, Minimus also has cross-curricular relevance. The material on the community at Vindolanda can be used to supplement studies of the Romans at KS2. The grammatical content helps to develop language awareness, and provides a solid foundation from which learners can progress to further English or foreign language studies. The Teacher's Resource Book provides support, particularly for non-Classicists. It includes teaching guidelines, English translations of the Latin passages, and additional background information, plus photocopiable worksheets.

Customer Reviews:

A little frustrating.......2007-09-23

We do not "homeschool" but I wanted to use this book to teach my daughter Latin as a supplement to what she's learning in school. So far I have found it to be frustrating. Mostly because all the words are not defined. I have been having her translate the cartoons but she is not able to do it completely because of the lack of definitions. It would also be helpful to have a comprehensive glossary at the end. I have a Latin dictionary but it's not terribly helpful. For instance, they introduce "est" but none of the tenses. So along comes "erit" and I'm not sure how they're supposed to know that that is the future tense and means "is going to be"? And "erit" is not in the Latin dictionary. I am now going to have to sit down and write up a spreadsheet with definitions of all the words.

The mouse is cute and I like the addition of Roman culture and history.

Good for schools and homeschools.......2007-08-23

This is an excellent alternative to Prima Latina and Latina Christiana. It is engaging and fun without being gimmicky. I have taught Latin using a variety of texts for over 10 years-- this is the perfect textbook for elementary school students or homeschoolers looking for a solid introduction to Latin language and ancient culture. This book is also perfect for students studying the ancient Mediterranean (perhaps using Story of the World or another such text). It has much useful and fascinating information on daily life in the ancient world.

The teacher's manual that accompanies this book is fraught with ideas for projects and classroom activities.

Excellent Resource - BUT you must have the audio for pronunciation (more).......2007-07-04

This is very entertaining, very versatile -- there are so many activities to be used for reinforcement that one truly will not be able to do them all. Even though I had Latin in High School, I had to purchase the audio CD - I found it to be the missing component to the kids' enjoying their lessons thoroughly. The Audio is an enormous help -- easy to understand and a practical learning aid. I also used photos off the internet of present day Vindolanda which gaves the kids an excellent perspective of the area about which they are learning. Because of the great versatility of the series and the many ways to branch out and make the lessons interesting, relevant AND still have your students learn Latin, I would definitely recommend this series AND the audio component.

Long live Minimus.......2007-05-14

This book is a very entertaining way to introduce basic latin for young and inquisitive minds. I liked the humerous stories coupled with the classic mythology.

Now I look for latin words in everyday life with a lot more awareness than before. Long live minimus!

Great for beginners.......2007-02-17

My husband reads this book to our toddler and both enjoy the simple words and concepts. It's perfect for little ones or beginners.

The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery

Average customer rating:

Way too simple, but OK for kids
Definitely not worth the money.
Perhaps he should name it....Catapults for Kids.
More fun!
Amusing catapults, interesting history, but no metric units

The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery
William Gurstelle
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices
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Whoosh Boom Splat: The Garage Warrior's Guide to Building Projectile Shooters
Adventures from the Technology Underground: Catapults, Pulsejets, Rail Guns, Flamethrowers, Tesla Coils, Air Cannons, and the Garage Warriors Who Love Them

ASIN: 1556525265

Book Description

Whether playing at defending their own castle or simply chucking pumpkins over a fence, wannabe marauders and tinkerers will become fast acquainted with Ludgar, the War Wolf, Ill Neighbor, Cabulus, and the Wild Donkey—ancient artillery devices known commonly as catapults. Building these simple yet sophisticated machines introduces fundamentals of math and physics using levers, force, torsion, tension, and traction. Instructions and diagrams illustrate how to build seven authentic working model catapults, including an early Greek ballista, a Roman onager, and the apex of catapult technology, the English trebuchet. Additional projects include learning how to lash and make rope and how to construct and use a hand sling and a staff sling. The colorful history of siege warfare is explored through the stories of Alexander the Great and his battle of Tyre; Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Third Crusade; pirate-turned-soldier John Crabbe and his ship-mounted catapults; and Edward I of England and his battle against the Scots at Stirling Castle.

Customer Reviews:

Way too simple, but OK for kids.......2007-06-29

I find this book to be very superficial when it comes to the real deal. If you're looking for a book on catapults, you're going to get disappointed. This book focuses om making simple small scale models of catapults. I suppose it's great for a weekend project with your wannabe engineer kids, but if you're really interested in pre gunpowder siege warfare, you should rather take a look at Konstantin Nossov's book on siege warfare, which is a really thourough work. Also note that there aren't any metric units for the models, which complicates construction for the common european.

Definitely not worth the money........2007-04-17

I was really dissappointed with this book. Several of the projects are ridiculous, and he didn't do enough research. A few quick searches of the internet reveal that he gets a lot of historical facts wrong.

His first two projects, have nothing to do with anything related to actual catapults. The first is two sticks tied together, and the second is the equivalent of a waterbaloon slingshot. He calls it the "Viking Catapult". Of the ten projects in this book, three of them are modeled on actual historical types of catapults. Two are sub projects, that just show you how to build parts of the catapults, and the other five are things a child could design on thier own. As the one of the other reviewers pointed out, the last project is a plastic spoon catapult game. Small children do this on their own.

Do your self a favor, and download some free plans off the internet.

Perhaps he should name it....Catapults for Kids........2007-01-10

I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting some historically accurate designs and what I received was overly simplified plans presumably designed mostly for children. Yes, most of the text is related to the history of these weapons, but the plans left something to be desired. The ballista plan suggests use of a peanut as ammunition (not a bolt?) and the catch mechanism is nonexistent. The last project is a plastic-spoon-based basketball game. Enough said?

More fun!.......2006-11-10

This is a great book - got a copy for my brother for Christmas, and after taking a look had to get my own copy. I've been wanting to build a trebuchet ever since I saw one as a teenager - here are the plans!

Amusing catapults, interesting history, but no metric units.......2005-07-20

This book contains easy-to-follow instructions on how to build different catapults. Unfortunately there is no data regarding approx. distance and height for the suggested projectiles, why you must try for yourself. All units are english/american, which means you must translate this to metric units if you are more used to that.
A lot of historic background around catapults in general and around each model is given, which makes the book very interesting to read, even if you do not plan to build any of the models.
I can recommend this book to both historically interrested people and those who are more fond of making amusing toys!

Greek Today: A Course in the Modern Language and Culture

Average customer rating:

EXCELLENT FOR SELF STUDY
Good Textbook
A good start
GREEK TODAY: A COURSE IN THE MODERN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
This is a good textbook.

Greek Today: A Course in the Modern Language and Culture
Peter Bien , Dimitri Gondicas , John Rassias , Andromache Karanika , and Chrysanthi Yiannakou-Bien
Manufacturer: Dartmouth College Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Oxford English-Greek Learner's Dictionary

ASIN: 1584650338

Book Description

Greek Today presents an up-to-date communicative approach for students of Modern Greek. Aimed at the introductory to intermediate levels, it is a completely revised and expanded edition of the popular Demotic Greek I. Presenting material that relates to a wide range of cultural interests, the textbook offers twelve lessons with a total of sixty grammar points, all conveyed through dialogues that present the realities experienced by young people and adults in contemporary Greece. Lessons are supplemented by songs, poems, realia, images, and cultural texts. A large number of cartoons by Greece's eminent artist Kostas Mitropoulos provide a running commentary on modern Greek culture and its relation to Europe and the ancient Greek past.

Employing a vocabulary of more than 2,000 words and introducing students to the most current Greek idioms, Greek Today also includes etymological notes on the evolution of the Greek language and the Greek roots of many English words.

Beautifully illustrated, Greek Today is accompanied by a CD that contains recordings of the basic texts of each lesson, performed by Greek actors.

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT FOR SELF STUDY.......2007-06-22

Learning modern Greek can be a bit of a daunting task.
Specially if you have some knowledges of classical Greek . The modern pronunciation, the iotacism, words that looks alike but do mean something different.. well, it can be a bit scary.

Now, I must say that "Greek Today" is a REALLY GOOD self study textbook. The main book is quite thick and is in a A4 format. It comes along with a workbook that I definitely recommend as it gives great exercises and a great way to make sure you know your vocabulary. All the explanations are in English,and also, the course comes with 2 CD roms, 1 for Mac, one for Windows, with recordings of the dialogue by Greek actors.

Studying that course is pleasant, an easy task and honestly, it makes modern Greek a Doodle to learn compared to its classical sister. NO ghastly hard conjugations, reduced declensions.. what a joy. Greek Today gives you all the pleasure of learning a great and lovely language without the headaches. The website also gives you extra material to study and loads of texts, videos andis very user friendly.
I have tried other textbooks, and THIS one is by far my favorite.

If you re serious about learning modern Greek.. Go for it . Buy that course, (I know it is an investment but you deserve quality ).
Get yourself a cup of agnos ellinikos kafes (real greek style coffee) and start studying.. You won t regret it , I can assure you that

Good Textbook.......2007-05-07

Nicely published, large textbook, with clear layout and clear font. The accompanying CD is well produced also, although it seems to lack a cross-index to the textbook. It is obviously intended for classroom use, under the guidance of a teacher. It can also be used for self-study, perhaps in tandem with " A Manual of Modern Greek" by Anne Farmakides, an older but excellent book which I found extremely helpful.

A good start.......2007-01-17

This I find to be a good start on learning Greek. Learning any language is going to require effort but having the various forms of media may ease it some. Go to their website which is also referred to in the book for additional material in learning this wonderful language.

GREEK TODAY: A COURSE IN THE MODERN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE.......2007-01-11

This is an excellent, comprehensive work on modern Greek language and culture. However, it is not ideally suited for self-tuition and needs back-up from a teacher. It is also essential to use the workbook alongside it in order to reinforce each aspect of the grammar covered. In order to make it more suited to self-tuition it would need to have a key to the exercises and a Greek/English glossary at the end of each chapter. Finally, I think that each chapter could have been divided up into smaller units in order to aid motivation. So much grammar and vocabulary is included in each chapter that it can be of-putting.

This is a good textbook........2007-01-03

It is accessible for English-speaking students and well-rounded in content.

Average customer rating:

Greek and Roman Architecture
Donald S. Robertson
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Greek and Roman Architecture in Classic Illustrations
Roman Art and Architecture (World of Art)
Greek Architecture, Fifth Edition (The Yale University Press Pelican History of Art)
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ASIN: 0521094526

Book Description

This book provides a brief, clear account of the main developments in the history of the Greek, Etruscan and Roman architecture, from the earliest times to the foundation of Constantinople. It contains 135 drawings and 24 plates. Professor Robertson has produced a really great handbook; one that has become the standard general work, in English, or perhaps in any language, on its subject. It has not only accuracy, attention to detail and scholarship - these qualities we would expect - it has clarity, breadth of treatment and what can be called architectural soundness.

Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece

Average customer rating:

Equal opportunity temples
Portrait of a Priestess, scholarly merits and popular appeal

Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece
Joan Breton Connelly
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Complete Greek Temples
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ASIN: 0691127468

Book Description

In this sumptuously illustrated book, Joan Breton Connelly gives us the first comprehensive cultural history of priestesses in the ancient Greek world. Connelly presents the fullest and most vivid picture yet of how priestesses lived and worked, from the most famous and sacred of them--the Delphic Oracle and the priestess of Athena Polias--to basket bearers and handmaidens. Along the way, she challenges long-held beliefs to show that priestesses played far more significant public roles in ancient Greece than previously acknowledged.

Connelly builds this history through a pioneering examination of archaeological evidence in the broader context of literary sources, inscriptions, sculpture, and vase painting. Ranging from southern Italy to Asia Minor, and from the late Bronze Age to the fifth century A.D., she brings the priestesses to life--their social origins, how they progressed through many sacred roles on the path to priesthood, and even how they dressed. She sheds light on the rituals they performed, the political power they wielded, their systems of patronage and compensation, and how they were honored, including in death. Connelly shows that understanding the complexity of priestesses' lives requires us to look past the simple lines we draw today between public and private, sacred and secular.

The remarkable picture that emerges reveals that women in religious office were not as secluded and marginalized as we have thought--that religious office was one arena in ancient Greece where women enjoyed privileges and authority comparable to that of men. Connelly concludes by examining women's roles in early Christianity, taking on the larger issue of the exclusion of women from the Christian priesthood.

Customer Reviews:

Equal opportunity temples.......2007-08-07

The status of women in the ancient world has long been a controversial issue. The traditional view of male historians has been that it was always a male-dominated world. Some feminists have countered this with arguing, on rather fragile evidence, in favor of prehistoric matriarchy and mother goddesses and so forth. Ancient Greece, in particular, has always been a kind of blank screen on which thinkers project their own image of what it was like. Most of the written evidence has suggested that women in ancient Greece were subordinate and secluded. Against this has been the fact that some powerful Greek gods were female and served by female priests. What these priestesses did,, and what their place was in society, has been somewhat mysterious because what we got from the historians and poets and playwrights was scanty. Connelly supplements this by a careful and scholarly (perhaps too scholarly for the general reader) examination of epigraphs and images.
The text is pretty hard going for the non-specialist but the pictures are great and it will make a handsome addition to a feminist coffee table although it will be a shame if it stays there. I think the large format is justified on more than esthetic grounds because Connolly's argument depends on her ability to bring to bear on the subject her abilities as an art historian and therefore adequate illustrations are needed. These are more than adequate; they are magnificent. It would be presumptuous to pronounce on the strength of her case without more expert knowledge than mine. No doubt other academics will be on the attack and it will be fun to see the fur fly in the Times Literary Supplement etc.
At the risk of quibbling I must break a lance in my ongoing battle against publishers who transcribe Greek inscriptions into lower case. Greek lower case was unknown before the Byzantines. I noticed that she does not mention the triple bronze serpent in the Hippodrome at Istanbul in her discussion of the Pythian oracle at Delphi. Is it authentic?

Portrait of a Priestess, scholarly merits and popular appeal.......2007-05-07

Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece is a book I'd recommend to scholars. It is well researched and well composed. However, the topic is also of interest to those who enjoy exploring the ancient world and a woman's place in it. Women's lives in this historical period are difficult to access but Connelly has done so in a way that is both useful to those who work in the field and accessible to those who have a general interest and curiosity about the women who acted in and acted out the roles of priestess. An impressive collection of images is of interest to both groups of readers. RD Anderson

From Alpha to Omega, An Introduction to Classical Greek, Rev Third Edition

Average customer rating:

Imperfect, in a Grace Jones sort of way
Using this book helps
Less here than meets the eye
Looking forward to 4th Edition
Hillarious

From Alpha to Omega, An Introduction to Classical Greek, Rev Third Edition
Anne H. Groton
Manufacturer: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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From Alpha to Omega Ancillary Exercises
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ASIN: 158510034X

Book Description

A beginning text in Classical Greek which approaches the language from a grammatical point of view. Fifty brief lessons allow a structured introduction to the language. Short readings follow each lesson beginning with lesson five, and include Aesop, Plato, Thucydides and many others. This book also has a companion text for ancillary exercises. Tutorial software for this text is also available.

Customer Reviews:

Imperfect, in a Grace Jones sort of way.......2007-01-13

"From Alpha to Omega" is an introduction to the classical Greek of Athens (Attic). I'm using it in conjunction with Pharr as I attempt to study Homeric Greek. There are some differences in the dialects, but I like Groton's text because it provides explanations that are relevant to Homer's Greek, and I find the layout much easier to navigate than Pharr's. The book is very good either as a primary text in classical Greek or as a companion to a text in Homeric Greek.

This text was recommended to me by a colleague in Classics who loaned me hers. I liked it enough to buy my own. It isn't a perfect text by any means. It is far more detailed than is needed or wanted by most students of Greek, and I'd hate to have to cover the entire thing in two semesters. I have a fairly good language background, but unless I were a Classics major or were taking no other courses, I'd be overwhelmed by it. A teacher who wants to attract students from other majors into a few semesters of Classics should definitely use a different text.

I think Groton's text is very good for the student who has considerable language experience, or the person like me who can't remember the whats of a language without a thorough grasp of the hows and whys. It's also good for the student who wants to continue studying Greek beyond the first year. If your interest doesn't extend beyond a basic course, this text will likely be a frustrating overload.

This text isn't perfect, but it's perfect for me. Whether it's perfect for you depends on your learning style, your language experience, and your expectations for continuing with Greek. Whether it's perfect for you or not, I strongly recommend buying "From Alpha to Omega: Ancillary Exercises" (Jon Bruss) to go with it. Because Groton's text is detailed, so are the ancillary exercises. You don't have to do all of them, but they really will help you understand and remember the material in the text.

Using this book helps.......2004-03-13

It is an very good companion to a classroom setting, which I am currently enduring, especially with the ancillary exercises which are also essential. I do enjoy the extra detail & find that annotating the book makes classroom note taking unnecessary. It is very well organized: the E-G/G-E dictionaries are keyed to the chapters, & the index, with topics keyed to sections rather than pages, extremely helpful & thorough. When a new principal part is introduced, all principal parts of all previous verbs are reprinted. When the old brain is burned out, just reading the grammatical explanations is therapeutic. It would be nice to have the Greek passages double spaced or in a larger font, so that my work/glosses can be pencilled right into the text, but I doubt any publisher would spring for that. No doubt about it, learning Ancient Greek is tough, tough, tough, unless you have a hoover for a brain. Using this book (with a good prof) helps.

Less here than meets the eye.......2003-12-11

Groton has been our class textbook through Greek 100 and, so far, half of Gr 200. At the start we were very enthusiastic about it, especially those of us who learned Latin from Wheelock, but after a while.... The book is similar to Wheelock's Latin, but much less accessible. The layout is dreadful (particularly the appendices). Ms Groton tells us far more than we need (or want) to know about some things: digammas, thematic vowels, quantitative metathesis and so forth. But more importantly, the readings are inadequate and the exercises will drive you nuts: Is it really useful to know how to say "Either have I now made clear who the stranger is, or shall I also announce what name he has?"?

If you are using Groton, get the Ancillary Exercises as well. They're a big help. You might also get the Loeb Xenophon and try to read it with a lexicon. The point after all is to learn to read greek.

Looking forward to 4th Edition.......2003-11-09

As a first year Greek student I base my opinion of this text not on my expertise in the language but on my use of the text itself.

I have no complaints about the content of the text; it seems reasonably paced and thoughtfully developed.

My two critiques (I hope contructive in anticipation of the 4th edition)are thus:
1. The text still contains typos (including within the Greek paradigms) that I am surprised to find in a third edition.
2. The formatting of paradigm tables (particularly in the appendices) leaves something to be desired. The content is complete but they could be laid out better. I suspect that formatting has been compromised for the sake of space. My own opinion (speaking chiefly as a spreadsheet fanatic) is that it would be worth killing a few more papyri for the sake of tables that are intuitive to look at. I would gladly incur the necessary extra cost.

I recommend this text but sincerely hope a 4th edition is in the works.

Hillarious.......2003-07-26

This book was my first introduction to the language. It is a good mix of reading selections (which grow in size and complexity as you progress), vocabulary, and blurbs in English about the function of the language. The exercises given in each chapter exhasperate and delight as you realize that you are translating a sentence which reads, "Hurry, O Goddess! They hasten out of their tents and into the ocean." Or, "Pay heed, O Lady of the house! The letters are on the couch!"

Ever wonder how to decline "Socrates"?

This book is best if you have a good sense of humor. The one thing it is not very helpful with is accentuation. It does explain the topic, but it's explanation is quite poor.

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