I've read through this book quite a few times since I got it almost ten years ago. It's a very concise read; the book totals out at just a little over 100 pages. What it provides though is very valuable.Admittedly, I am not a trained practitioner of Chinese Martial Arts, but I am definitely an enthusiast. I was exposed to Hsing I back in college, and devoured as many internet videos describing the practice as I could find. There are not as many books devoted to Hsing I as you might find on more well-known martial arts, so I was really excited when I found this. It describes the major five forms or "fists", and the twelve animal styles. There are many pictures to attempt to describe the motions, but if you are completely unfamiliar with the forms, videos will still help you picture them.The book starts with a history of Hsing I, and attempts to describe the internal arts and the idea of internal, full-body power. After that, there are the descriptions of the forms as discussed above, and after each of those are descriptions of practical uses of each form (against an opponent). The book is wrapped up by quoting advice from several Hsing I masters, to gain their perspectives in your practice.All in all, this book is not a voluminous read, but contains a wealth of good information on Hsing I and internal Chinese martial arts. Definitely recommended.