I was very excited when I signed up for my Fingerprint Class at Kaplan... however... OUCH. I would say 85% of this book was actually painful to read. For someone just starting out on the subject, this book was not appropriate. Much better for someone who has an basic understanding and then takes a more advanced class on the topic. Don't get me wrong, I did learn a lot from this text, but the way it is presented is just... painful; there is no other word to describe it! I ended up doing a lot of outside research for this class to supplement this book; there are many, many, other sites out there that present the information in a much more friendlier way! Two stars for the knowledge, but NOT easy-going or fun to read in the least! NOT for beginners on the subject!!