First order of business: I did not read this book. I purchased it as a gift for a friend. She is originally from China and has some trouble still with English. She is always asking us (friends) to clarify what we mean when we use English expressions or make American pop culture references. I drew her name for a Secret Santa gift swap and chose this book, thinking that it was practical, but also a poking a bit of fun at her. It had the perfect effect of making everyone giggle (a bit of racism among friends is funny, right?) but also being completely useful to her! She tells me that it's a great book and she actually uses it to look up new phrases as she encounters them.