I use this as a text in a class that I teach on soil fertility and fertilizers, and have found it perfect for this use. If you are looking for information on how to fertilize your garden, this is probably not for you. It might be useful to professionals in crop and soil science, or ag teachers, that want to bone up on plant nutrition and soil fertility. It provides information on the role each nutrient plays in the plant, deficiency symptoms, factors that will affect availability and uptake, and fertilizer sources of the nutrients. Introductory chapters included basics of pH, soil texture, CEC, etc., that was helpful to students that did not have a soil science background. I purchased this in Kindle format, which is not my favorite way of reading material, but I couldn't beat the price. I will probably purchase a hard copy from the International Plant Nutrition Institute, even if the quality is lacking (according to other reviewers). There is also a digital download of Powerpoint presentations for each chapter that I have purchased (more expensive than the book) from IPNI and have used this for class instruction. If you are not sure if this manual will be useful to you, sample the Kindle version before purchase. I did this, then purchased the Kindle version, then purchased the Powerpoints, and am now considering a hard copy. So, it was perfect for me!