I started with this book about 10 months ago as an adult having never played the piano before. The pace of the book is very good, challenging your abilities but not to the point of frustration. Each chapter starts with theory, then some basic pieces to practice the new theory, building up to more difficult pieces that work on technique and dynamics. There often is a sprinkling of additional theory in each chapter, then some review excercises such as recognizing notes and chords, locating notes on the keyboard, finishing musical pieces with chords, and review of important musical terms. I found that the Masterwork Classics by Jane Magrath to be a good supplement to the Bastien book. The Magrath book has a lot of practices pieces (some more challenging than others) and focuses on playing different notes with left and right hands simultaneously.