What a refreshing, informative book! Of course, the question of which films to include is a personal one but the choices here are excellent, with films from every era and corner of the world represented. I particularly appreciate the lack of a rating system of stars (or bones, in this series) which can tend to be short-sighted and over-simplified. Instead the author delves as deeply as he can given the space with wonderful insight.I also liked the inclusion of films worth watching highlighted here rather than an exhaustive list of films to avoid. For the record,there were a few swipes at several films that have over-rated reputationshere in the States and these warnings are truly beneficial.This is a marvelous, intelligent book - a "must" for anyone who loves world cinema and takes film seriously.Curtis Stotlar