This book is a combination of about 4 other books written by some of the world's foremost experts on malt, yeast, and brewing science. The technical detail it goes into is great for commercial brewers but a complete waste of time for homebrewers. A degree in microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering is almost necessary for comprehension. I love this book for the technical aspects of the brewing process it explains. Beware that it does not give a step by step for solving problems, the practical brewer is better for that.