[Hatredcopter]

I am not a big fan of things like Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur (and others). If anyone is really, truly serious about learning Japanese, they should seek out a class or a tutor. A class or tutor can be expensive, maybe a little bit more than those Pimsleur sets, but you get so, so much more out of being in a class or with a tutor who knows the language.

But, I will say that I used the Genki books a few years back when I first started learning Japanese. They're pretty good, and teach some standard, practical Japanese. I used it with a class, so your results may vary if you use the book by yourself, but you should be able to learn from them if you're diligent. I would definitely recommend getting the workbook.