As China is growing vastly economically, many businessmen as well as ordinary people are being exposed to the Chinese language. In North America, the number of Chinese language courses provided in elementary schools to colleges have increased over the years, making it a very popular language. However, because of its complex grammar as well as its long historical background, this language is very hard to learn, and Taub is ready to help you achieve that goal.

Mandarin is a language composed of symbols and various complex tones. It can be daunting for a beginner, and growing up in Taiwan I definitely felt that fear (my first language is English). Taub did a really good job illustrating not only the basics of the language, but also the more complicated aspects. In the beginning, the explanations of the tones were detailed, precise, and accurate, but also not to the point where it chokes the reader. Later in the book, she also points out common words and phrases used in colloquial speech, which not many Chinese language books do today. Throughout the whole book, Taub also makes use of pinyin to illustrate how a particular word is supposed to sound, a good tool for any learner no matter where they are from.

Although simple in design, the book is straightforward and that is the main purpose. Without the fancy schematics, people are able to learn Mandarin quickly and in a time saving manner. However, maybe a fancier cover page will capture the attention of passersby in a bookstore, because first impressions are (sadly) everything.

Mandarin Chinese - Fully And Detailed Top Key Language Issues With Pictures and Examples: For Intermediate & Advanced - Book One by Orna Taub is a comprehensive Mandarin Chinese language book for learners who are at least at an intermediate level in learning to speak Chinese. Orna Taub herself has an extensive background as well as practical experience in speaking Mandarin. Since she is not a native speaker of the language either, she is able to relate to the struggles and challenges one can sometimes face while learning a new and complex language. The book is clearly split into neat chapters while providing tips and information on the intricacies of language such as: the use of idioms, colloquial Chinese, common expressions and slang, the rules of changing of tone, grammatical nuances, prepositions and conjunctions, and more. All of the text is accompanied by several pictures or illustrations to better clarify the concept. There are also numerous examples provided throughout the book.

Mandarin Chinese - Fully And Detailed Top Key Language Issues With Pictures and Examples: For Intermediate & Advanced - Book One by Orna Taub is an extremely handy book to have around for any learner of the Mandarin Chinese language. The book is not designed for beginners or learners who don’t know a word of Chinese. Instead, this book is meant to help people who already have a basic knowledge of Chinese to help improve and grow in their use of the language. Orna Taub has done a great job adding to the literature in this field and it is especially important considering the fact that more and more people are learning Chinese nowadays. All in all, a great book and one that I would recommend!

While this book is beyond my skill level, it's impossible to deny the depth and breadth of such a huge reference book. For intermediate and advanced students who require further assistance in a range of grammatical skills as well as a huge cache of idioms, Chinese-centric proverbs, sayings, and idioms, etc., this book is an incredible value.

Orna lists each item using Chinese symbols, pinyin, and English translations. Given the scope of what she's compiled in her research, I would be very surprised if you didn't find what you were looking for inside. Additionally, Ms. Taub lists contact information for questions, links to her blog, and other information for those who wish to find answers beyond the textbook.

If you are a student of Mandarin Chinese who needs a handy and amazingly inexpensive resource for a ton of grammar questions as well as a powerful tool to go beyond the limits of most language curriculum, you can't go wrong with this book.

Being a Chinese language student and teacher myself, I cannot avoid appreciating this book for a couple of reasons.

First off, it contains TONS of ready-to-use sentences that a student can memorize. The grammar is explained through examples and not merely through tables and rules. Excellent.

Secondly, it thoroughly covers every bit of the Chinese Language and leaves a very little room for doubts.

Definitely a five stars!

While this book is beyond my skill level, it's impossible to deny the depth and breadth of such a huge reference book. For intermediate and advanced students who require further assistance in a range of grammatical skills as well as a huge cache of idioms, Chinese-centric proverbs, sayings, and idioms, etc., this book is an incredible value.

Orna lists each item using Chinese symbols, pinyin, and English translations. Given the scope of what she's compiled in her research, I would be very surprised if you didn't find what you were looking for inside. Additionally, Ms. Taub lists contact information for questions, links to her blog, and other information for those who wish to find answers beyond the textbook.

If you are a student of Mandarin Chinese who needs a handy and amazingly inexpensive resource for a ton of grammar questions as well as a powerful tool to go beyond the limits of most language curriculum, you can't go wrong with this book.

Very impressive , very well written! Definitely an invaluable resource! The review was done on a comnplimentary ebook