Quite a mixed bag. The author is covering a lot of ground, and in doing so, must necessarily condense, omit, and gloss over complex traditions and belief systems. The greatest benefit is the collection of stories used to illustrate various aspects of the beliefs surrounding witchcraft (and what earns my "stars" in this rating). Unfortunately, most of the text reads as a dry reporting of beliefs and stories: some people think this, and here's a story that relates to that. There's no central thesis to carry us through, no building or progression toward a significant insight, and no particular perspective through which to read all of this (which is why protestations against the author seem out of place to me). A useful reference as a source among many for someone conducting research, but not a great read in itself.