Via topically oriented lists and contextual sentence usage, both in English and German, the students learn the most important 4000 words in the German language. Handy size for study anywhere: at home, on the beach or on the bus. Text has accompanying workbook.
Although the US English can be distracting, I use this book constantly. It has 4,000 basic words which are those most frequently used. It also has an example sentence, which is where a translation into UK English is sometimes required.
I use this in conjunction with a flashcard system called Quizlet and it really helps me study my German vocabulary.