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Of the books I own on Japanese, this is the clearest. This isn’t because the author’s knowledge of Japanese is superior (although it is), but because she writes English more clearly, briefly, simply, and unambiguously than others do. That makes this book the best of its kind, by a considerable margin over the second-place contender. The text begins with brief chapters on Japanese writing systems (especially the systems used in writing Japanese in the English alphabet) and Japanese pronunciation; these are among the briefest, but also the clearest and nearly the most complete, that I have seen. Then the author proceeds to discussions of the Japanese language itself. She concentrates largely on verb forms and on particles and their use, with excellent discussions of word order interpolated within. The study of Japanese consists mostly of the study of verbs and the changes they undergo, and (to a lesser extent) of the use of the many particles. While the Japanese noun is among the simplest in any modern language, the Japanese verb boasts a Byzantine complexity equaled by nothing and approached, perhaps, only by Russian. But this author’s very superior English skills make this book the best of the many I have seen on the Japanese language. Highly recommended. -- Carl HayesRead full review
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