Unlike previously available materials, this book will allow beginners to understand the logic of Tibetan grammar and syntax through graded readings and narrative explanations. The large glossary, which includes particles and is indexed by page, will serve as an invaluable reference for readers of Tibetan at all levels. The reading course includes the Tibetan alphabet and its pronunciation, as well as a wide range of modern literary styles from literature, history, current affairs, newspapers, and even communist political essays. Cassette tapes to assist students learning on their own are available through Case Western Reserve University's Center for Research on Tibet.

Essentials of Modern Literary Tibetan, Melvyn Goldstein, UCal Press, 493 pages, $84.00

Melvyn C. Goldstein is Chairman of Anthropology at Case Western Reserve and Director of the Center for Research on Tibet. His books with California include A History of Modern Tibet 1913-1951 (1989) and English-Tibetan Dictionary of Modern Tibetan (1984). Gelek Rimpoche and Lobsang Phuntshog are Tibetan scholars.