A fascinating and interesting book on the history of this particular system of card reading. Reading like a novel, filled with fascinating real life characters, Chita St. Lawrence publishes her system of reading the playing cards as handed down through several generations of women. I met her at a book signing and she really reads the cards just like she writes in her book. I have found the system to highly accurate, even when I did not think so. TIme and again, people would come back to me and say, "You know, that reading you did for me? It was so accurate!" I have been reading cards for over 20 years and have not found a system as accurate as this one. Definitely, the tarot does not come anywhere near the detail or accuracy in readings that this system does. At first the meanings seem so simple in their directness. But with experience, one finds that the individual meanings expand and flesh out. For those who like action-oriented or event-oriented readings, this is the card system. For those who want more "psychological" aspects, this system encompasses that, too. If you want to read the cards--yours and others--get this book--NOW!