Colloquial Chinese by P.C. T'ung and David Pollard.

[xiexieniii]

Does anyone know if these two books are the same?

http://www.amazon.com/Character-Text-Colloquial-Chinese-Simplified/dp/0950857211/ref=pd_cp_b_2

and

http://www.amazon.com/Character-Text-Pollard-Colloquial-Chinese/dp/0950857203/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1244707490&sr=8-3

One is blue and the other is red. Do they have the same passages, the only difference being the traditional/simplified fonts? I ask because I have the .mp3 files for the blue book (traditional), but I want to switch to learning simplified now, and I'd like to have the same audio files.

[HashiriKata]

Yes, they're the same book, but one is in Simplified and the other in Traditional Chinese characters.

[Manoz]

Ah, the good old red book! We've just finished it recently at uni. The .mp3s are really useful too.

[xiexieniii]

Heh, tell me about it. I did not realize how focused and useful this book was until I switched to a different school with a different book, and man, what a difference.

[xiexieniii]

How were you able to buy this book? Our university stopped using it last year, and it seems to be out of print now. It's a really excellent book though. They should print more.

[fubidou]

Try ebay. Although if you buy one off a student it will probably be very dog-eared and full of notes. At least mine is!

[xiexieniii]

I used to have the blue book, but unfortunately I lost it. It was definately a book with a lot of history.

Is there any other textbook that is as efficient, serious-minded, and comprehensive as the T'ung and Pollard?

[fubidou]

I don't think there is... I was lucky enough to be taught by P.C. T'ung himself, and I had the blue book too. But as I had already learned Chinese I didn't try out any others at that level. When I went to Beijing the books they used there were pretty awful. But I am sure there are better things around - must be: demand and supply. Or just reading Chinese internet discussion forums would be hugely more entertaining than the stuff we were put through at the time...

Peter

[xiexieniii]

Whoa! How did you manage to get taught by P.C. T'ung? After having gone through so many terrible books and teachers, I now have so much respect for that man and his awesome blue book.

[Madelynne]

Is this the blue book? I have colloquial chinese by tung and pollard it has a cassette (yep it's old) and a picture of mountains and the Chinese flag on the cover but doesn't teach characters-do you recommend it as a study tool?