This is the third or fourth book I've been working through to try to learn Japanese. I'm still a beginner but I've gotten some of the basics. I've made it as far as lessen 10 in Japanese for Busy People and I'm going to abandon the book and try another volume. I found the lessens to be unclear and the learning curve VERY steep. (Remember, I've been studying Japanese for some months, I know some of this material already). In my blog I referred to this book as Japanese for People Who Have Lots of Time to Study or Japanese for People Who Remember Everything They Have Ever Read. Maybe it works for other people, but for me and my learning style it was like beating my head against a wall.