Why does an artist do what (s)he does? Wolf Kahn gives insight into his thinking. He touches on composition, use of color, and elements of design. We know the colors, but we might not understand why they work. He helps us understand. Just out of curiosity I viewed the plates upsidedown, and they were very exciting viewed that way. Try it! The book has beautifully printed plates, but I found placement of some plates to the text somewhat inconvenient and perhaps a little confusing at times interrupting the continuity of reading and study. I would have wished for some of the smaller paintings to have been actual size. I would have learned and understood more. You may learn some new vocabulary and some words he has defined for his own usefulness. The cover and binding are confluent to the interior of the book. I consider this book to have worthwhile the purchase and the time spent reading it. What are my credentials you might ask? I am nearing graduation in master of arts in studio painting and have degrees in journalism and education.