Like other reviewers have said, the book is more complex than one simple secret. The author takes the main idea and expands on it throughout the book, with copious illustrations to show what he means. What works best for me is to read it while I'm in the middle of a project because then I can apply the principles directly to that project rather than thinking about the principles in the abstract. Even though he says to read through it quickly and remember it forever, right now I need to go back and remind myself of some of the ideas. This may be because I am a part time artist and am not always thinking about or making art.I would recommend this highly for beginners as it will save many trial and error mistakes and it wouldn't hurt the intermediate or advanced painter either. After all, isn't there always something in a painting that could be a little better?