Travel to Central America

Lonely Planet Costa Rican Phrasebook (Lonely Planet Phrasebooks)

Format: Paperback
Author: Thomas Kohnstamm
ReleaseDate: 30 September, 2006
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Rating:

Inferior to previous edition
It completely changes the content, the intent and therefore the usefulness of the book. This 2nd edition is more than just a beauty cleanup of the 1st. It is full of pronunciations, painstakingly spelled out as if someone was going to read them preferentially over the Spanish words. It's sort of lame, because Spanish pronunciation is basically invariable (accents aren't, of course) and if you are having trouble with it that is best fixed with a different book. It seems like there is less information, because a big chunk of the page has gone over to pronunciations. It has been scrubbed of most of the sketchier inclusions of the 1st edition, which are fun. The very useful verb endings charts and some of the Tiquismo sidebars are gone. I also find the typeface harder to read in dim light, especially the dictionary. On the plus side, it is prettier, and perhaps better organized and easier to find information.

I had my 1st edition stolen while down there. I hadn't been in a hurry to replace it, but the minute I received this 2nd edition, I scoured the 'net to locate another 1st. You should consider the same.

.

.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Central America travel books.

	Lonely Planet Costa Rica
	Waterproof Costa Rica Map
	Costa Rica - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!)