Merriam-Webster's Easy Learning Spanish Conversation (Spanish and English Edition) Pap/Dwn Bl Edition

I'm kinda puzzled by the "not available" sign on the product page, because this book was right there in plain sight in the language section of my local bookstore. I saw it and, just out of curiosity, opened it up. I leafed through the pages with growing interest, then knew I had to have it.Neither your typical phrase book (you know, the "Where is the train station?" type things) nor your typical grammar book ("uses of the past preterite passive predicate progressive subjunctive" ones that give you an immediate headache), this book really does emphasize conversation. It probably does have a slight slant toward travelers, but even so, it is a great resource for anyone. It doesn't give you stock questions or in-depth "explanations" of the minutiae of Spanish grammar; rather, you get the Spanish equivalents of those phrases that you want to express, but you just can't figure out how a native speaker would say. Examples would be, "Can I get a pound of cheese?" "How do you get to the supermarket?" "I'll have the red wine with my dinner." Various ways of saying these things are given.I gave the book 4 stars because, unfortunately, the emphasis seems to be on Peninsular Spanish, and you are guaranteed to sound goofy in Latin America if you go around saying stuff like, "Me apetethe un wheeno." But if you team up this book with, say, "Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish," or "Speaking Spanish Like a Native," you should be able to figure out what to say (and not say) in Latin America.This book presupposes a decent working knowledge of Spanish. I would say if you are an advanced beginner or low intermediate, it will help you kick-start your way to handling situations with more confidence and surety.Just a few words of advice: though the book gives plenty of choices you can use, make it easy on yourself and just pick one and stick with it. For example, how many times do you hear people say in conversation, "however," or "even so"? Just stick with plain old "but," and you'll be fine in pretty much every case. Worry about broadening your range later, after you have mastered the basic ins and outs. This book will still be there when you're ready.

Free Audio Download　に惹かれて購入しましたが、本の中のガイダンスに従ってみましたが、リンク先には無し。でMerriam-Webster　に問い合わせたら、Collins　に聞いてくれ、と。　Collins　に問い合わせたらアクティブでないリンクを教えられ、どちらの会社にも不信感が・・・。