I've always used Schaum's Outline Series, from Math to computer, and now the Russian language. It's hard to find a comprehensive reference book that will explain Russian language grammar precisely, let alone in an easy and comprehensible way. It's also provides exercises. A highly helpful and desireable book.

Schaum's Outline of Russian Grammar is good reference for a 1st year Course in Russian. The subject is explained clearly and the contents are well indexed. Given the extensiveness of the subject further studyt would require more specialized texts.

I recently bought this book along with the New Penguin Russian Course, and the two complement each other very well. The way the Schaum's Outline of Russian Grammar is set up, you could use it with just about any type of Russian lessons, but I think it would be particularly helpful with conversation heavy systems like Pimsleur or Immersion method. The concepts are presented matter of fact and the exercises are very useful to use as self-drill. The overall layout, from a "this is how we'll break down the grammar rules" perspective is also very easy to understand, without skimping on the complexity of certain issues like verb aspect, or uses of the conditional mood, or irregular case endings. It even has stress marks (inexplicably omitted from Schaum's Vocabulary Outline) which are certainly the most important thing after learning the alphabet in terms of learning Russian pronunciation and intonation. Also, there are many explanation of shades of meaning implied by slight changes in grammatical usage. This book has been so helpful and useful that I just can't imagine a serious Russian student, particulary a do-it-yourselfer, not having it on hand.

I started using Schaum's Outline of Russian Grammar after I already knew the basics of Russian grammar and found it very useful. One of the difficulties with Russian grammar is remembering all the rules and applying them correctly. This book is ideal for practice as it contains hundreds of grammar exercises with answers. The author, James S. Levine, begins each section of the book with a clear explanation of the grammar point to be studied. The exercises then test the learner's understanding of this point. The key to using the book successfully is to do all the exercises. This requires a certain amount of discipline, as it has to be said, this is a fairly dull book. There are no stories and no pictures, just grammar and more grammar. It is for this reason that I would not recommend this book for someone who has no knowledge of Russian at all. Moreover, although all aspects of Russian grammar are covered thoroughly including the basics, Levine often assumes the reader already has a reasonable Russian vocabulary and has a fair grasp of Russian sentence structure. A complete beginner would find doing some of the exercises almost impossible.

The key to speaking Russian correctly and fluently is for the grammar rules to become automatic. If you constantly have to work out the case of the noun, the aspect of the verb and so on, you'll never get anywhere. With practice even the complexities of Russian grammar become a matter of routine. Any reasonably serious student of Russian will benefit from Levine's book and will also gain a good degree of satisfaction from completing the exercises. This book will definitely improve your Russian.

This is one of the best grammar books I have used!
Having studied Latin, French, Spanish, Hebrew, German, Russian and English, there is no doubt in my mind that Russian grammar is up there in the first or second place in difficulty. This book does an excellent job of presenting complex material in a clear and straightforward manner. Dr. Levine organized the material so you can use the book as a study aid and as a reference book. He introduces each topic with definitions and general rules, and follows with numerous examples with corresponding English translations. He summarizes the topic with appropriate tables and a thorough review, using extensive exercises, with answers in the back of the book.
Worth mentioning is the particular sensitivity of Dr. Levine to the English-speaking student. Subtle points which are common pitfalls for English speakers learning Russian are brought up and examples given.