You don't have to read though the insturction before you can operate the alarm clock. It's easy to set the alarm time with the front bezel. A little night light turns on while you push the snooze button to allow you to see the time in the dark. The radio has decent reception and acceptable sound clarity (like an old AM radio). The only minus is that it is very difficult to distinquish if the the alarm is turned on by the yellow green color indicator (not an lit indicator). You can tell if the alarm is on or off by knowing the position of the switch at night.