Arabic for Nerds one

I'm still working my way through this book but what a superb and clearly written explanation of the Arabic language! Unlike most I've read so far, which have been dry, boring or outdated, the author uses up-to-the-minute clear English and brings his knowledgeable and humorous personality to help with the explanations. Brilliant!!

This book is recommended for someone who already has a certain level of Arabic proficiency.... however, I've found it being very interesting even for a beginner, like myself: - The author explains different aspects of the language, randomly going from general to specific subjects (which makes the reading not boring) - The author does a great job explaining unusual grammar or morphological nuances of the language to the audience whose native languages are Romano-Germanic For a beginner the book gives a perspective about challenges at the advanced level...

A wonderful book for all those who need to learn the intricacies of Arabic Grammar. Scores of Questions and Answers that help to understand the inner logic of the language and to master its patterns and structures, which the author compares to grandmaster chess-playing and to a 'mathematical game'. The author recommends his book to those who have studied Arabic intensively for a minimum of two years, with a good knowledge of Arabic vocabulary, and 'who know about tenses, verb moods and plurals'. He warns that the book doesn't teach vocabulary and that there are no exercises. While he also cautions that the book is neither scientific nor academic, his love for the language is so obvious and contagious that, along with the easy-going, conversational style and Q&A format, this book will ultimately be most helpful to all serious students of the Arabic language.

great work!

The author's passion for Arabic makes understanding grammar interesting.

This book answered so many questions I had. The Arabic language is like a huge jigsaw puzzle and this book will fill in the missing pieces. A must have for the serious scholar.

I actually purchased AFN quiet a while ago and I am just now getting around to writing a review. Arabic is one of those languages that requires A LOT of time if one wishes to become at least partially competent in it. It can definitely become overwhelming at times, especially in the beginning. But then again, I guess it depends on a person's main goal for wanting to learn the language. If it's just be able to talk about the weather, ask how someone is, or order a Falaafal, then it won't require as much time as if someone wants to be able to pick up a text and read away or give a formal speech in front of native Arabic speakers. There are tons of Arabic grammar books out there, some great, some good, some so-so, and to be quiet honest, (and I don't mean to sound cruel), some are so awful I question what the author was thinking in writing it. One thing that I must also say is that any online program or book that promises you that you can become fluent in Arabic in 30 days, 60 days, 3 months, etc., etc. JUST SAY NO! Also one must have a teacher or a knowledgeable tutor to learn at the basics. OK, with all that said, now on to the actual review. Arabic for Nerds is not the conventional Arabic "grammar" book, and this is one of the best things about it! It fills in many of the gaps that other books can create, and it explains the concepts it tackles in a clear manner. It is also great that the author uses many of the grammar terms used by Arabic grammarians along side its English "equivalent". Overall, I would highly recommend to anyone who has been studying Arabic for at least a couple years to get this book.

It was a gift to a friend. He is very happy with the book.

An excellent book, worth a buy. It takes you back in time to the substratum on how grammar began. Its like the Big Bang of Grammar. Totally intoxicating and worth the hangover. Dr Renuka Karthikayan Malaysia

This is the perfect manual for students of Arabic who already know grammar. It's very helpful for refreshing memory and filling in gaps.

Although the layout is a little messy and it is not easy to look up the answer you want, it truly does address the intricacies of Arabic in an appealing way. An important stepping stone into higher levels of this amazing ancient language. The author would do us good by preparing an exercise book to master the grammar points he explains.

Phenomenal resource for advanced students of Arabic. This book addressed so many topics in Arabic grammar that I didn't even realize I was unclear on.

An excellent book, for those who want to grasp certain aspects of Arabic grammar this text is very useful. well worth the money

Great Book, it fills in all the gaps i was missing for grammar Great Book, it fills in all the gaps i was missing for grammar

I was excited for the arrival of this book and I'm already glued after having it for one day. Grammar is explained really well in a structured, understandable and helpful manner. I know that this book will be essential to reference back to throughout my years of learning Arabic. I agree that its content is for those serious about the language, and with a love for Grammar (boxes all of which I tick), though I disagree with the author saying that it is aimed at advanced learners with 2+ years of Arabic knowledge behind them. I am a first year University Student and we have already covered a lot of these questions in class, and I'm fining the book extremely enlightening. A must buy.

Every serious Arabic learner should get a copy of this -- whenever I have a question the book has an answer to it. I think this book is especially useful to students who have spent more than two years studying Arabic and who wants to understand FusHa grammar inside-out.

Not for every would-be learner of Arabic grammar, but EXCELLENT for those who want a Western-type analysis of how fine points of Arabic grammar works, those who find discomfort in not connecting the approach of traditional Arabic grammarians to a modern framework. A very succinct compilation of the kinds of commentary/explanation needed by students from a European-American educational background. Perhaps overwhelming for a beginner, but for one with a linguistics or grammar orientation this fills a distinct need.

I have learned many useful things about Arabic from this book. This book presents to you information that many native speakers may not even know and more importantly it is written from the perspective of a learner who has been there, done that. I applaud the author for his wonderful effort.

Excellent book

Gerald Drissner ist leidenschaftlich verliebt in diese Sprache und das spürt man. Die meisten existierenden Arabischbücher sind leider etwas veraltet oder viel zu steif. Dieses Buch kann man einfach stundenlang im Sofa durchblättern und dabei viel lernen. Dass ein Ausländer dieses Buch geschrieben hat, ist auch wichtig: er weiß, was einem Ausländer beim Erlernen dieser Sprache schwer fallen kann. Also danke!

I received this book as a gift to help me refine my learning of the Arabic language, and I love it! This book is a quirky addition to the other Arabic learning books already out there which, let's face it, are often pretty dry. This is probably the first book in English that explains the Arabic language the way that native speakers would learn it, however, this book is not an academic type book. Instead, it is based on applied, practical problems that look easy but can wind up being a real headache, such as how to express "more crowded," "this car is mine," or how to pronounce the number ten correctly. The explanations are written in plain English, and the author translates and explains the concepts and ideas of Arabic grammar terms in a really in-depth and helpful way. This approach is especially helpful if your aim is to study Arabic in the Arab world. The book contains hundreds of examples, and every Arabic sentence is translated and fully vocalized. You will find advanced content that goes beyond what you would learn at a college level. I highly recommend this book for intermediate students!

Really good and refreshing outlook. Slightly above my level but I'm going through bits of it and asking my teacher about things I don't understand and my teacher is buying this book too.

Fantastic resource for advanced students. I've been stuck at 3/3 ILR in Modern Standard Arabic and really need something to break through. There are no exercises in the book, but there are hundreds if not thousands of incredibly useful examples. I had to adjust a bit initially to the Arabic grammar terms, but I love this book. Finally there is a tool for students who want to move beyond alKitaab or Medina. Break free of the limits you have placed on your Arabic by trying to fit it into your language's grammar structures and embrace the language on its own terms.

Are you studying Arabic? Then you MUST get this book. It really is a no-brainer. Trust me, I have just about EVERY book for learning Arabic and this is definitely something you will want to have. At over 400 densely-packed pages, this is one of the true rare gems in the language self-publishing world.