I actually read the third edition of this, so there might be some minor differences. Basically, both the Head Start program I work for and my college courses consider this book to be the bible of my educational existence. Not much arguing with that, huh? I really like how informative this book is and appreciate the low amount of filler involved. Still, there are things that are vague within the guidelines, making for possible confusion or disagreement. That said, there is freedom in the loopholes, and I am glad to have a place to find said rules without scouring multiple sources or non-user-friendly webpages. If anyone is in the early childhood field or considering getting into it--or if their child is in this range and a parent is having questions about an issue--this is a great reference tool.