This is my 6th year using CTBP and I have been very pleased with them. This text was my least favorite of all of them. First the good: the text is very readable and the information is presented in an interesting way with amazing illustrations and maps. It is extremely thorough and doesn't come across as primarily 'Catholic', but the Church's contributions are clearly pointed out when applicable. I have always been pleased that these are History texts first, and religious influences are highlighted but don't take center stage. The chapter review information which includes test questions, important characters, major events, and dates to remember is very helpful for figuring out what the main ideas are and what the students should know. The cons: At times it feels like this book goes too in depth and can be overwhelming in the amount of information provided especially as it is geared towards high school students. My daughter has gotten pretty frustrated through not knowing what information is truly important to know because of the sheer amount of it. I believe it would come across just as well with fewer details as the students truly only need an overview of what was happening at the times. I have found myself bogged down with all of the facts and dates and I am a college graduate! The main con, and it has proved to be a big one, is that there is NO Index which makes locating specific characters or events extremely difficult. I have no idea why something as simple as an Index was omitted from a TEXT book! Makes absolutely no sense.