I bought this as a research tool for a novel I'm writing. It's understandably dated as it was written twenty years ago but a lot of the information is still relevant and useful. The book is written in a straightforward and simple fashion and is easy to follow. Unfortunately I've had to deduct a star for the unexpected and rather bizarre section on health and fitness which made me laugh out loud on a couple of occasions. ('Wash the groin in cold water then dry vigorously with a rough towel until you feel a warm glow...' - Yeah, there's a word for that behaviour!)