When I first received the book, I was very pleased that the reviews (front and back covers and inside front cover) gave it plaudit after plaudit. Thus, my expectation for a well-written, easy-to-follow and enjoyable-to-read book was set. Alas, even as I read the Introduction (before I got to the first chapter), I could sense that this was going to be a difficult read. Each chapter thereafter reinforced my initial suspicion.
On closer inspection, the reviews were all written by people who have made astrology their profession. This is not the first book to read if you're just starting to delve into astrology. Unless you're already acquainted with the topic, it will be a little bit difficult to follow. To give you a better context of my review, I am not a total novice when it comes to astrology. However, I am not yet a serious student either. At the end of most chapters, there are exercises to reinforce the points discussed. These are not really practical for the novice or those with a passing interest in astrology and just wanting to understand the ascendant better as you'll need access to quite a number of birth charts to complete those exercises.
I so wanted to resist the temptation to flick to the final chapter to read about my own ascendant in the “Cookbook” section (Chapter 12). I gave up at Chapter 7 as it was taking too long to even get to this point. I flipped to the “Cookbook,” then came back to read the rest of the book with the same impatience to get to the end of the book. I am now at Chapter 11. So near yet so far!