This is without question an excellent book that is comprehensively and thoughtfully written. Once I understood that this is the only book that has been approved by the Mayan leadership, I decided to read it first, and I'm very glad that I did. However, even if I had read other books on the subject first, I believe that the contents of this book would still have been very valuable. There seems to be so much confusion and fear associated with 2012. This book provides a very sensible, comprehensive understanding of the subject from a person who has the highly credible background to inform us. It is positive in perspective, while at the same time presenting what are serious issues that confront our present world. The book is very well written with a smooth translation of the original text, and so it is also a delight to read. It contains wisdom that is worthwhile to reflect on for a long time to come. I am left with anticipation of reading more from Mr. Barrios about what the Mayan have to share when this is deemed timely to impart.