My main problem with this book is how it is subtitled. It is supposed to be a basic work. While the first few chapters (up to about 7) are basic, the problems from chapter 7 on can be quite challenging. In the vein of a math text, the problems also often extend the main idea of the chapter. I think that this is a good way of including content and asking the reader to figure things out for themselves. This can also be construed as being basic or elementary, but again I often find the problems difficult to work, particularly in my head as opposed to on a board or on the computer. Seeing as I am often left with the feeling that I need to get stronger before reading this book, there is an important sense in which it is not basic or elementary.