Deutsch im Blick
The book is very comprehensive. Once the learner (or instructor) gets used to the layout and interconnectivity of the book and its various links, it becomes easy to follow.
The content is, for the most part, very accurate. I spotted a small inaccuracy in chapter 5 E. (postcard). "Dich" is both capitalized and lower case in the same text.
For the most part, the content of this book is timeless in its relevance. I would suggest changing some of the photos depicting technology to include more modern devices such as smartphones or tablets.
For an introductory course and a beginning student, I found the examples in the grammar sections of Grimm too complicated. American students are not very familiar with German fairy tales. In addition, fairy tale language is more difficult to understand than the German spoken in daily life. The explanation of the grammar points itself is clear but I would simplify the language of the examples, especially in the early chapters where students' vocabulary is extremely limited.
The text is consistent in both terminology and framework.
The format of each chapter is consistent in structure and layout. The grammar section in particular can be easily assigned and reviewed or used as a reference at different points during the course.
The topics are presented in a logical and consistent fashion. It might be helpful to place a little more emphasis on some of the grammatical structures early on in a chapter to facilitate general comprehension. I appreciate how the book immediately personalizes each activity after it has been introduced in order to make the learning process more relevant to the student.
It would be convenient to have the links to the video clips embedded in the text. Otherwise I did not find the interface confusing. I did not try the scanner, however.
I did not come across any grammatical errors in the book.
The cultural relevance pertaining to German culture is excellent. In light of the rapid changing of the German demographic due to the recent influx of new immigrants, students might enjoy learning about the growing multiculturalism of German society. Many students still believe Germany to be the land of the stereotypical tall, blond German.