Been wrestling with the guitar (acoustic & electric) for longer than I want to admit (like the saying goes, it's an easy instrument to play---badly!) but I have fun so what the hey. Anyway, along the way I've amassed a variety of guitar books/dvd's; IMHO this is probably one of the best method books and a good place to start. I like the structure of the lessons, how they progress and how they build on each other. It encourages basic sight reading (there's no tab). For the most part, I liked the varied selection of songs used. The availability of the DVD makes for an OK supplement. Maybe add in Alfred's Basic Guitar Method - Complete, then supplement them with something like Teach Yourself Visually Guitar, a Dummies book, or the Alfred's Teach Yourself to Play Guitar cd-rom. Or, if you like the Beatles, throw in Hal Leonard's From Liverpool to Abbey Road-A Beginning Guitar Method, and there's plenty to work with and maintain interest, but best of all, to have fun with!