I received this question:

I’ve recently decided that I’m going to do my best to learn German. Do you have any books or anything that you would suggest using?

Here is my reply:

I love this question.  I wish I could get back to studying German full time.

I would start by listening to German.  From easiest to difficult, I recommend the following:

There is a very good podcast produced by Radio Lingua.  It is called Coffee Break German.  Start here: http://radiolingua.com/coffeebreakgerman/.  Stick with the free material as long as you can.  It may be all you ever need.  Here is their Facebook page as well: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeBreakGerman

To start learning to type, speak, and use the language, go to the excellent (and free) DuoLingo.  You will love it.

Another fantastic place to start is Deutsche Welle.  This site alone could take you from 0 to Hero in German.  The courses are organized according to level.  Start with A1.  http://www.dw.de/learn-german/s-2469

Once you have some footing in the language, start listening to Slow German with Annik Rubens.  You will never run out.  She is prolific.  I wish I could be like her.  http://slowgerman.com/

For fun, you will want to check out the videos at Sendung mit Der Maus.  Kids show, but, hey… if you are just starting out anyway, you will find them helpful: http://www.wdrmaus.de/sachgeschichten/filme.php5

A little advanced, and a bit nutty, is the Extra series.  It’s on YouTube.  An American is attempting to learn German.  You will need to know some German basic before you start. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lWQW5_CPGQ

Of course, you might eventually want to go study in Germany.  If that is the case, you will find these two pages helpful:

Let me know if you find anything helpful!