I've been carrying around this giant tome for 3 months in anticipation of a long-term stay in Macedonia. I've never been there and have zero background on the language or the culture so am happy to have this book to help me get prepared. However, I have learned other languages and used many other language textbooks whose layout and sequencing are superior to this one. Perhaps as a classroom text this book would work well - with the help of a teacher. But as a "teach yourself" text, I find it frustrating to try to use, especially without the accompanying CD that seems to be endlessly delayed. As an example, I would have found it helpful to have vocubulary introduced more thematically and more thoroughly. I've worked my way through 3 chapters and find that I don't have a lot of the basic, daily-use vocubulary (e.g., household items, foods, clothing, body parts, days of the week, counting, etc.). Telling time isn't covered until Chapter 7. Also, some basic layout adjustments would help, such as better demarcation between chapters, better use of headings and fonts to arrange things visually on the page, etc.
All in all, I'm happy to have the book, but as another reviewer said, it's hefty and (for me) overwhelming. I don't need 16 chapters worth of material. A beginners text of 8 chapters would have been a big plenty - and a lot easier to lug around.
I don't mean to discourage its use. Not at all. Just providing some insights for the would-be buyer.
