Japan The Coming Social Crisis Author:Jon Woronoff SPEAK JAPANESE TODAY is designed to make it possible for people who have never been exposed to Japanese to begin communicating in that language immediately. Every word and phrase in the book is phoneticized in standard English so that all one has to do is read the words and dialogue as if they were English...and it comes out "Japanese!" ... more » The first portion of the book provides an introduction to the pronunciation of Japanese and an easy overview of the structure of the language. It also includes basic greetings, farewells, telling time, everyday expressions about the weather, giving directions, telling distances, counting, money, telephoning and much more. Speak Japanese Today is unique in that it also provides vocabulary and sentences for airline pilots, stewardesses, Immigration officials, Customs officials, hotel staff, restaurant staff, bartenders, shop clerks, taxi drivers, tour guides, doctors, people hosting Japanese students, and more. With a little practice, a person can communicate as many as 500 key concepts using only a 100-word vocabulary.« less