This is the first Tarot deck and "manual" I've purchased. I would not recommend it as a good single source for beginners. The enclosed "instruction" book is far too small to read easily (it's about the size of a deck of cards) and the interpretations/descriptions are a bit short on many of the cards. If you choose this as your first deck, buy a comprehensive book on Tarot reading as well.

The cards are very slick, and of heavy stock, making them a little difficult to handle for a beginner like me; though in their defense they are probably more durable because of this, and will last longer.

In comparison, I just bought the Celtic Dragon Tarot deck, and find the effort put into describing each card and its meaning much more comprehensive...still I'm sure that a comprehensive book on Tarot by one of the respected authors is the best step in learning to read any of the various decks.

My advice, for what it's worth is to remember that with any spiritual enlightment journey, each one's journey may take a different path, and be wary of criticizing how others go or of putting too much faith in the criticisms of others on any product in terms of its suitablity to meeting your spiritual needs.

The Rider-Waite-Smith is a classic deck, the most popular of all Tarots, and the de facto standard in the English-speaking world. This particular printing is rather interesting. Apparently, an attempt was made to faithfully reproduce one of the early decks made from the original plates. The most notable consequence is in the color rendition: these cards have a distinctly yellow-tan cast compared with other widely available printings. Whether this is good or bad, I suppose, is a matter of personal preference. It certainly gives the cards a rich patina, but cards with a lot of blue in them end up a dull shade of turquoise.

The set includes a tiny, but readable, copy of Waite's famous guide to the Tarot, sans illustrations. This makes the set a nice choice for someone who has a passing interest in what Waite wrote about the cards, but not enough to put a regular edition of his book on the shelf.

It is often recommended that Tarot beginners start with a Rider-Waite-Smith deck. If the color rendition of this printing appeals to you, this set can make a nice starter--although Waite's book will need to be accompanied by something a little more accessible and tutorial in flavor, such as Mary Greer's "Tarot for Your Self" or Rachel Pollack's "78 Degrees of Wisdom".

I think every student of Tarot should own the Rider Waite deck. It has set the standard in this century and is the most popular Tarot deck of all time. My favorite book for interpreting this deck is Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis, another classic of the Tarot literature.

I listened to this audio book because I had a long ride and I heard an interesting interview with Liz Smith about this book. After hearing the audio book, I guess the interview was interesting because of the interviewer's skills, not Smith's.

I don't recall ever reading a Liz Smith column, but, as she has been writing gossip for 30 years, I naturally assumed that this memoir would summarize 30 years of gossip. Greatest hits, stories behind stories, embarrassments, stories that were bigger than mere gossip, follow-ups to scandals past, etc. Sadly, this was not to be.

NATURAL BLONDE is a straight-up autobiography. This book is about Liz Smith and her life, not the lives of her columns many subjects. The book is told chronologically, giving equal weight to each stage of Smith's life. Consequently, the first two tapes - half the audio book - is about her largely uninteresting early life. Sorry, but who cares?

At the end, as she sums up her life, she asks herself a series of "was this a life well spent" questions. They're mostly along the line of "I wanted to make money" and "I wanted to meet famous people." Missing is any sentiment of leaving the world a better place. Granted, Smith raises money for literacy, but at one point she admits that taking care of two dogs is too much responsibility for her (in terms of caring for others). If the impression is that a gossip columnist must lead a shallow life, this book confirms it.

Finally, in the second half of her book, Smith gets into some expanded stories about famous people. This unfortunately short list includes Truman Capote, Donald and Ivana Trump, Malcolm Forbes, Katherine Hepburn and a few others. Unfortunately, the stories she tells about these personalities (and it is their personalities, not their accomplishments, that she covers) are anticlimactic. I was left was left wanting more substance - or at least more of a reason to be interested.

Smith is more interesting discussing the newspaper industry. Her story about Kitty Kelly seems to go somewhere. Her commentary about New York City's tabloid wars was insightful if all too brief. More of this would have strengthened the book.

The audiocassette version probably has two advantages over the print edition. The first is Smith's narration. Her voice adds something to the words. The second is that I can't imagine slogging through the print version of the first half of the book. In this case, the edits help the story. In sum, NATURAL BLONDE is NOT the real thing

If you learn anything about Liz Smith from her book, it would be that she is extremely well liked by the people she writes about. What a career! - invitations for great weekend getaways with the rich and famous, staying at luxiourious hotels and riding on private jets, dinners during the week with her close friends Barbara Walters and Joel Schumaker. When you get to the chapter where she reveals that she has been Katharine Hepburn's guest at Fenwick on several ocassions, the average reader may feel that their own life is pretty drab. Liz Smith does not reveal that much about herself but her engaging personality comes through in her writing. It is apparent that she is fair, honest, and extremely likable. When she does dish the dirt on a few famous names (and this happens only a few times), it is because they actually deserve it. Lee Radziwell and theater critic John Simon, for example, have been exposed by others in the press as mean spirited individuals, and Smith's quoting of their comments really comes as no surprise. What is surprising are the people that I didn't really expect to like (like Ivana Trump) and Smith allows you to see them in a different light. Smith sometimes make you wonder if she herself is somewhat snobbish toward the common people - she is irritated to find that Roy Cohn has invited a lowly tv repairman to dine with them and Barbara Walters. And one of the things that she dislikes about ballooning is the fact that you sometimes have to share a brandy with the farmer in who's field you have landed. Well, I suppose she can't be perfect. Her book is a very entertaining read and recommended for those who are curious about the private lives of the rich and famous.

I have followed the career of fellow Texan, Liz Smith for a long time. Often her name would pop up in conversations about celebrities as one who had an inside track. When I picked up Natural Blonde, I knew I was in for a good read. Beginning with her growing up years in Texas, her stint at Hardin Simmons, her short first marriage, and journalistic study at the University of Texas, she weaves a great tale of growing up in a small town where she first caught the celebrity bug. The stories of starting off in New York, the life long friendships made with both the people in front and behind the spotlight. The stories of living young in New York are priceless. As the story continues into the halcion days of the 70's and the excesses, and the all out gossip business. This is a skillfully told story. She chronicles the evolution of gossip, with all its twists and turns, and big personalities. You can tell how Liz became the widely read columnist, for her personality never overshadows the celebrity's story .. That is the only fault I can find. The very ability that makes her a favorite with the famous....not being too big a "personality" on her own, being a good old girl, keeps her from spilling some stories that she must know. There are plenty of names dropped, spanning from the old studio days to the celebrities of today. The focus on the celebrities, is at at the expense of telling about herself(or perhaps to keep from having to divulge too much about herself). One has to believe she is that way...putting the story before herself. An asset that has served her well. This is a great read and another tribute to the strong, smart cult of Texas women.