Instruct: Classify a review as either positive or negative.
Query: Somewhat dated, but truly "essential."

This is one of the first, most useful books for someone who really wants to learn about beer. It is not fancy. There are no pretty photos of beer or breweries, the writing is to-the-point without much in the way of entertainment. But the information is rich and authoritative. When my friends have sucked Michael Jackson's books dry, and still want more, want to know how to understand the beer they are drinking, this is the book I recommend. Note that I do NOT lend them my copy; I would not want to be without it. The only reason I give the book 4 stars is because it is somewhat out of date. Fred: NEW EDITION!!