Obviously Micheal Jackson was one of the preeminent beer and whiskey connoisseurs and a prolific writer, so that much of the book is easily 5 stars. So, how do I arrive at 2 stars?
1. Having been published in 2000, the book is dated, very informative, but as a guide to beer, dated. The craft beer revolution is in full swing, a lot has happened in ten years.
2. More importantly, as a Kindle book, nothing has been done to make this a useful guide, dated or not. The index is nothing more than a photo copy. Not only is the index almost unreadable, but there are no hyperlinks. I bought this book as a resource for my smartphone, without a linked index it is completely useless. For this reason, this version receives only 2 stars and ebook was returned.
My recommendation is to buy the hardcover if you really want this book. I own the hardcover and it is a wonderful, but dated, guide to beer. The hardcover is deserving of 4 stars, though without updates, those stars will fade.
Mr. Jackson is sorely missed, his love of fine spirits and beer was unmatched; sharing a drink with him must have been a wonderful experience.