great reference for common grammatical errors, December 30, 2002
　

This book is a good companion piece for those with other beginner books on grammar and vocabulary. The author provides 114 common mistakes that are made by beginners and clearly explains the correct way of speaking. This book focuses less on vocabulary and more on phrases and expressions in spoken chinese. Therefore, you'll probably be able to get some immediate use for the book right after you crack it open.

A Very Useful Book but the Audio Tape is Useless, August 16, 2000
　

What a wonderful idea for the English speaking student of Mandarin Chinese: a very comprehensive book of Chinese grammatical points that are easily confused specifically by native speakers of English. This approach makes the book useful for beginning, intermediate, advanced, and even very advanced students. Indeed, I found more that a few examples that I have been saying wrong for years.

Unfortunately, the tape that accompanies the book is completely useless. It goes like this: an English speaking lady with terrible diction recites a phrase in English. Then, lightening fast and without pause, a Chinese speaker recites the phrase in Chinese, and again without pause an English phrase follows. This approach gives one no chance to repeat the phrase in Chinese, and the author makes no attempt to present drills or other audio learning devices.

I can't imagine what use the author thinks this tape could possibly have. Or, conversely, why he didn't think to complement the excellent text with four or five tapes that would really hammer home the principles he is trying to teach.