content: I find this set to be next to useless. The Italian on it is so very basic that it's an insult to anyone who has already made any effort at all to learn the language. For all its faults, I find the Michel Thomas set much more helpful - ditto for the Berlitz Intermediate Italian. I concur that the CD's have (even as "brand new" ones) places where the skipping / data flaws are terrible and there is too much dead air on them. Don't waste your money. There are better courses that don't insult your intelligence, and that also use Native speakers (if this is important to you).