Chinese for Beginners is an excellent book. It is a comprehensive explanation of the grammar and basics of the Chinese language, which, in and of itself, is extremely hard to learn. The book starts off with a brief history of the evolution of the form of many Chinese characters and explains the differences in the technique of the production of the characters in different periods. Afterwards, it jumps immediately to a table of the fifty most common radicals, something you simply cannot competently learn Chinese without a strong knowledge of. The only thing that you won't find in this book is a structured sort of lesson plan or any serious exercises. This is because it should really be used as a supplement, not as a means of learning Chinese all by yourself. Attempting to learn Chinese by yourself is not a particularly good idea... you either won't be able to work yourself hard enough to get decent results, which is the most likely outcome, or you will overload your brain in the attempt. If you are serious about learning this language, take a class. If you do, though, make sure you have a copy of this book. It is an invaluble suplement.