Re: Two texts unknown to me

Dear Eisel,

On 20 Apr 2005, at 3:14 pm, navako wrote:

> #2 seems like a very mainstream publication --but I have
> never seen a copy, and would be pleased if anyone would
> "review" it for me, as it would cost me quite a bit to order
> it here in Laos.
>
> Johansson, Rune E.A.
>
> PALI BUDDHIST TEXTS An introductory reader and grammar

This is a very modern-style Pali course that seems aimed at
a student who's virtually a tabula rasa as far as
language-learning is concerned. It can be quite good as
a starter for someone whose education has included little
or no instruction in formal grammar.

Each of its 52 chapters begins with a short Sutta passage,
followed by an explanatory vocabulary list, a translation of
the passage, and then an explanation of the grammar in it.
These explanations don't go deeply into anything but are
clear and unintimidating. The author is (was?) a
psychologist and his choice of Sutta passages is weighted
towards those of psychological interest (much the same
selection as you'll find in his _Psychology of Nirvana_).

At the end is an appendix with rudimentary lists of the
inflections of nouns and verbs.

Best wishes,

Dhammanando