I still don’t understand much about Chinese astrology, but I’m glad I read this book. In Focus: [Blank]—Your Personal Guide seems to be a competent and cost-effective series of introductions to metaphysical topics, although obviously they’re not presenting original research or anything. It was nice to get my first look at this system of knowledge, and of course the further reading section. I guess the biggest takeaway for me is how difficult it can be to begin to learn a system of astrology. When a person reads their first book about an astrological system, explaining all the signs, they probably walk away that first time remembering a basic sketch of their sign—their most basic sign—and maybe one or two others they’ll remember, probably not many more. The first book I read about Western astrology wasn’t too short and it went through all the signs, but I learned only a little and didn’t sustain my interest. Part of me looked back years later and guessed that I didn’t really grasp the book because of my youth; I couldn’t have been much older than twenty, and my brain wasn’t completely grown yet and furthermore I had a serious problem with sustained mental effort/attention span. But now I see the main reason for the lack of knowledge was I think just lack of perseverance, not that it’s reasonable to suggest even a basic working understanding after even a moderately lengthed decent book, you know. Perhaps a half-sketch of an outline. I’m now halfway through a series of short books about the signs of Western astrology, so I’m beginning to grasp some of that most popular zodiac system. I’d also like to learn more about alternative (alternative-alternative, I know) zodiac knowledge from other cultural groups, as well. Of course, life is more than reading books, but one of the nice things about astrology is that it can give practical advice if you’re patient to learn and prudent to understand—not just going into the Great Void of the One Impersonal God or knowing who killed whom back in our grandfather’s (or our grandfather’s grandfather’s) day, and so on, as much as mainstream academic and religion/philosophy is potentially a support as well. But one of the greatest things is knowledge of people, particular people, and how we are different and how we are (or can be) individuated, and that is something that the average school or church does not teach, you know.