When friends ask me what is the best tarot book for a beginner, I always suggest this one. My original one is falling apart, I just ordered and received another. I use a standard Rider Waite Tarot deck because early on that was the only deck that many authors had written interpretations for. It let me delve into the symbology of each card in a very deep and lasting way. I keep an extensive library on hand here for astrology, tarot and other forms of divination.