Hindi is the second most widely spoken language in the world with over 300 million native speakers, according to the World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2002. It is one of the two official languages of India. This Dictionary & Phrasebook comprises a perfect introduction to the language for the traveler, student, or anyone who wishes to communicate with Hindi speakers. It presents the Hindi script with a comprehensive pronunciation guide and basic grammar. Each entry in the extensive two-way dictionary includes the script and romanized Hindi. The book also contains cultural information (such as the fact that eating with the left hand is considered rude) as well as a section on problems a traveler may encounter. Todd Scudiere holds a master's degree in South Asian studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a graduate of the American Institute of Indian Studies' Advanced Hindi Language Program in Varanasi, India. Currently he is pursuing a master's degree in library & information studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.