This is a typically overpriced intermediate language textbook that is usually purchased by students under compulsion by a syllabus. For those of you who are not compelled to buy this text, I would not recommend it for self-study. It is not the worst, but the exercises are often poorly written such that they are either way too easy or too ambiguous to know how to answer. There is a lot of new vocabulary introduced, but not enough repetition to lead to longterm acquisition. In conclusion, there are better choices available for the intermediate student of Italian. (tune in to the RAI, per esempio: www.rai.it) Buona fortuna!