a very good book for the newbie, but offers a very large range of useful spreads and practices for the more experienced reader. The cards themselves are very well illustrated, with good modern interpretation. One great thing about this book is that it introduces the idea that the cards have different meanings in different parts of the spread and goes a little way into the context of other cards, something which some of the more advanced texts do'nt do.
in the introductory section it offers a good guide for using tarot in a modern context and practical tips such as storage and keepng decks and the section at the back provides useful tips on journaling and how to get the most from your readings. Some of the spreads work very well ideed.
What would make this book even nicer, especially for the beginner, is if it was available with a deck of its own especially as the one in the illustrations is so nice, but then again there are so many nice ones available that this is not a major issue. A very good reference book.