I'm working my way through this book, using it to review and polish my Japanese. I've only gotten through the early lessons, but that's enough to see what's involved here. Despite its title, which suggests that readers will be primarly at the intermediate level, it is actually quite advanced. Because I'm using it primarily for self-teaching and not as a classroom text, I have no one to practice the exercises with, so I mainly use it for listening comprehension, since it comes with a CD. The CD includes eacb chapter's essays (one to a chapter, each borrowed from published sources and not original to the text) and a section in which sample sentences using each of the targeted phrases that the lesson seeks to teach are spoken. These phrases are introduced with their English meaning, but this is the only English in the text. I know some people think that eliminating all English explanations and translations is a viable method, but I disagree. This book has excellent material in abundance, but its lack of English material makes it very difficult to use with confidence if one isn't sure of whether one has understood the material. I've used almost every text on the market, both those with English assistance and those without, and, after decades of study, can attest to the need for English support, at least for the self-studier. Because it is one of the few texts to consciously attempt to help the student transition from "intermediate" to "advanced" it could have cornered the market had it included English explanations and translations. Perhaps omitting the English was also a financial consideration. But I am certain it would have been a much more useful book with English support. The CD material is clearly spoken, although at a pace more leisurely than usual for advanced material. It helps to hear the lessons read clearly and not too rapidly, but it would be good if there were repeats of the lessons at a more rapid pace. Also, none of the lessons is dialogue oriented, so you can't practice conversation. The book will enhance reading and listening skills, but the written materials are--so far--in the more formal written style, and you don't hear the language in its everyday context. There still is no outstanding book on the advanced level that does what must be done. This book is a start, but the drawbacks I've mentioned make it extremely problematic. I'll work my way through it and will certainly make improvements in my mastery of Japanese, but it will be a difficult and frustrating experience that could have been made much more effective.