Random House Latin-American Spanish Dictionary: Second Edition

I've worked for nearly 6 years as an interpretor and 10 within the immigrant community w/trip to the DR, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. This is a great dictionary for the backpack. There are obvious limitation based on its size. Its strongest when going from English to Spanish, largely b/c it offers alternatives to the generic stand in words. It has has a wide variety of medical and construction terminology (though hardly exhaustive). I translate primarily for Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Dominicans. I am very sorry this book has gone out of print. Regarding those frustrated that it does not have enough Mexican spanish: 1.) I have yet to find a dictionary that addresses the myriad vocabulary of each Mexican state. Each state has a unqiue vocabulary that many other states do not understand. When I see a Mexican from Piedras Negras talking to someone from Jalisco I know there be a bount of confusion as to what means what. 2.) Mexico stands apart from the rest of Latin America. They are Mexican before they are Latin. The unique blend of Indian, Spanish, and German influences is what makes them Mexican. Their accent is different from Spanish to the point that even Guatemalan and Honduran have at times difficulty understanding them. This is a not an insult to Mexicans. Its simply to point out that they tend have an isolated vocabulary.

I'm very happy with the Sp/Eng dictionary. It's just what I wanted.

I am not sure what the other reviewers were expectly for 6 bucks but at this price it is quite a bargain! It is excellent for looking up common mainstream words and i have seldom failed to find what i have needed to find in it. And yes it does give the part of speech for each word and example sentences for it too! It is cram packed with usful information and a must have for any beginner to intermediate learner of spanish. It is not the only dictionary you will ever need but it is a great start. For 6 bucks and what it offers it is a definite 5 star item!

Never failed me, not once, on two recent trips to Mexico and the D.R., but from it's size it is clear that is lacking many entries. Also, each entry could use a few more usage examples, especially for those countries whose Spanish is most widely varied from Castellano.

Excellent dictionary for anyone attempting to learn the language. I am constantly using it for my college spanish class.