Agreed, this book is extremely helpful! It really is incredibly well done. With this book in hand, you will never be fooled by a "fresh fake" again. My only concern is an unavoidable consequence of this GREAT book (which I re-read every three months): now the artifakers know what to do to make it harder for us. Now we have to figure out "real dirt" and authentic patina from cow poop, acid wash, fresh mud (which looks dark and wet under a microscope), varnish and potassium permangenate....but the book has also made it harder for THEM to scam us. The standard for successfully passing off a fake point has been raised very high thanks in large part to Mr. Bennett's book. 5 stars!