content: This was an OK book. I know some love Papazian but it's a little dated and written in a somewhat monotonous style. Some of the techniques are less than desirable, (i.e. pouring hot wort through a plastic filter into cold water sitting in a carboy. Also, I could have done without the projected need to calm new brewers by saying "relax, have a home-brew!' on ever single page. It is demeaning to those of us who are professionals in other fields. I would recommend just about anything written by Dave Miller, specifically his "Homebrewing Guide". Skip Papazian, there are far better books out there these days. BTW, the my first brew was an all grain oat stout that turned out quite well. Skipping the shortcut methods using DME and extract syrups was my first best decision in brewing. Running an all grain mash adds very little time, is very easy in my opinion and creates a much richer, delicious beer.