deriv LSK ETT STT aSTA ALPH OLDHOMEPAGE NEWHOMEPAGE
Dr. Michael Coulson wrote the "teach yourself Sanskrit" book. It is very good, if you like the old-style primers and you have the patience to do all of the exercises of a lesson before going on to the next. Definitely not summer-holiday reading. You have to do the exercises, otherwise it won't work.
Get the old edition if you can. It as been republished with a longer title, Complete Sanskrit: A Comprehensive Guide to Reading and Understanding Sanskrit, with Original Texts (Teach Yourself Complete Courses) .