When students ask, “What books should we read?” our response has become almost automatic. ” Start with Battino and South's text.” The book is basic enough for the beginners and sophisticated enough for the experienced. And it's gracefully written. At first glance, it's a little imposing - a big, thick textbook on a complex subject. Yet its graceful style is very readable ; it is sometimes funny and it is always encouraging. They wrote the book so that people can learn from it, and enjoy the process.