Ok, first of all, you *must* learn hiragana & katakana to use this book. I recommend getting James Heisig's book on learning both.

That said, this book jumps right into Japanese, and assumes you will *work* to learn the language. Each chapter, assuming you do the exercises will take several days. But they are well worth it.

One great thing this book does is use realistic Japanese conversational structures. Most books use convoluted (to the japanese ear) but educational (to the learner) sentences. This book always presents a "typical" japanese construct (as well as the more educational styles).

One disappointing thing with this book is that I have not been able to locate the tapes that go with it. Other than that, this is a great book to learn japanese with (tho you have to be willing to work hard!)

I found the approach of this text to be most helpful. Each section demonstrates the way a certain sentence or verb functions in communicating to the other person. It then provides multiple examples of this type of function, using conversations, drawings and exercises. It then summarizes the grammar behind it, including the principles of different levels of formality and respect. This book has untangled most of the questions I ever had about Japanese. In fact, as someone once said, Japanese is not a difficult language, only difficult to learn (especially for a Westerner.)
Personally, I enjoyed the fact that the majority of the Japanese in this book is written in the Japanese script, hiragana and katakana, with a sprinkling of the more common kanji (Chinese symbols) thrown in. It is written at an elementary level at which someone with no experience can realistically expect to learn to read basic phonetic Japanese, leaving learning of the 2,000+ kanji for the more advanced students. Although initially difficult, the script eventually becomes familiar and easier to read. This in turns is excellent preparation for the onslaught of signs and characters one encounters when one visits Japan.
A set of tapes, or a native speaking teacher is a necessary addition to the book, to become familiar with the sound of spoken Japanese.

A superb book. Thebook itself is marvelous. It incorporates many things including pictures, diagrams, charts, culture notes, and many others that improve its overall effect. It contains many excercises to involve you the reader. All of which are answered completely in the back of the book. It also teaches you to read and write the three Japanese syllabaries (hiragana, katakana, and kanji) by slowly introducing them into the text. A great way for ANYONE to begin their mastery of the Japanese language.