Joel Hirshhorn's book is brief but concise and to the point. It covers virtually every concept in songwriting along with some sound production advice. There are some areas that it does not cover in regards to alternate or extended tunings and more experimental musical styles, however, this is not really in the scope of the book. It is meant to be easily readable, which it is, and to cover the most important areas in traditional songwriting styles, which it does. Having read many other books on this topic I would like to see other areas added, such as the ones previously mentioned, along with some futher details on various voicings, and timbre/ sonic design. Overall, I give it a 4 out of five, as it covers everything it sets out to very well, for begginers to advanced readers it makes an important reference book or light reading material for the songwriters and composers library.