Latin for Dummies

Earn-lay atin-Lay? No, not that kind of Latin! You can learn trueLatin, with conjugations, declensions, and all those extrasyllables - and it's easier than you think.In fact, most people mistakenly think of learning Latin as perhapsthe most useless, tedious, and difficult thing to do on earth. Theycouldn't be more wrong.
Latin For Dummies takes you back for a quick jauntthrough the parlance of ancient Rome, as well as discussing theprogress of Latin into church language, and its status today as the"dead" language that lives on in English, Spanish,Italian, and most other Western tongues. Written for those withzero prior knowledge of Latin, this snappy guide puts the basics atyour fingertips and steers clear of the arcane, schoolmarmstereotype of endless declensions and Herculean translations.Easy-to-understand sections describe:

Latin you already know
Grammar
Pronunciation
Latin in action
Latin in law
Latin in medicine
Latin for impressing your friends
And much more
No dusty tome or other such artifact, Latin For Dummies makes learning fun and brings the language to life by presentingconversations in various Roman settings, as well as providing funfacts and stories about classical life. And if you feel you mayactually have a negative aptitude for the language, don'tworry; pronunciations and translations follow every expression, anda helpful mini-dictionary graces the book's last pages.You'll also find out about:

The quotable Roman
Latin graffiti
Latin authors who's who
Gladiator Latin
Latin in love, marriage, and family
From the mouth of Julius Caesar
Romans on drink
Helpful Latin-related Web sites
Fun and games exercises
Designed to introduce and familiarize you with the languagerather than make you the next Cicero, Latin For Dummies gives you all the tools you need to work at your own pace to learnas much or as little as you like. So noli timere (no-leetih-may-reh) - "have nofear" - and carpe diem ("pick up Latin For Dummies today")!