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Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely amazing
Review: I bought this book about fifteen years ago, and can say that I never found a more useful instruction book. I started with the companion Travis Picking book (which should be essential reading for any beginning guitarist) then proceeded to this solo style book. The tunes are amazing - which is rare for an instruction book. The originals and traditional songs are both challenging and entertaining. I still play 4-5 tracks and always get a positive response from musicians of all levels. I can't say enough about how this book helped me develop as a guitar player. You can pick up a few of my albums here at Amazon (really!), and I doubt I could say that without this book.
Rating:
Summary: AN EXCELLENT METHOD TO FINGERSTYLE GUITAR
Review: I have spent a lot of time searching for a non-classical fingerstyle guitar book and this is the one! It helps gradually to learn this style with wonderful excercices and music pieces.
Is is easy to follow and then you realize that your guitar level is higher. I do not recommend this book for beginners but for intermediate guitarists who love to play solo guitar.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely amazing
Review: I thought this book/CD combination was a great teacher, and just about right for my playing ability (intermediate). I found about 50% of the material to be allready familiar and 50% new. And there were a couple of places that I actually disagreed with his fingering choices (nobody plays the guitar the same way, so we should only adopt the teacher/author content that makes us better individual players - not "correct" players). But more importantly, this book forced me to face up to some bad playing habits I've used for 20+ years. I had to take a couple of months worth of steps backward to change in one case, but I expect substantial benefits in the long run. This is a very good teaching book, and I recommend it to everybody above complete beginner. Those players who know at least 30 chords can tackle this book, because most of the songs are only difficult to play at concert pace. I gave the book 4 stars, but 4 1/2 would have been more accurate. My only complaint is that the book is somewhat thin on content: explanations, photos and exercises. Mark Hanson also says little about the underlying musicology in the examples (modes, triads, key signatures, time etc.). There is a lot of white space on some pages, while p 26 is used for a photo of a church (?). I kind of get the feeling that the author wants to sell as many books as possible, and holds back from including everything we need. There are several references to his other books. But to finish on a positive note, the extensive artist/song list in "Appendix C - People to Hear" is excellent. You can be sure that some of your favorites are included, and that some suggestions will be new to you.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent examples and practical advise
Review: I thought this book/CD combination was a great teacher, and just about right for my playing ability (intermediate). I found about 50% of the material to be allready familiar and 50% new. And there were a couple of places that I actually disagreed with his fingering choices (nobody plays the guitar the same way, so we should only adopt the teacher/author content that makes us better individual players - not "correct" players). But more importantly, this book forced me to face up to some bad playing habits I've used for 20+ years. I had to take a couple of months worth of steps backward to change in one case, but I expect substantial benefits in the long run. This is a very good teaching book, and I recommend it to everybody above complete beginner. Those players who know at least 30 chords can tackle this book, because most of the songs are only difficult to play at concert pace. I gave the book 4 stars, but 4 1/2 would have been more accurate. My only complaint is that the book is somewhat thin on content: explanations, photos and exercises. Mark Hanson also says little about the underlying musicology in the examples (modes, triads, key signatures, time etc.). There is a lot of white space on some pages, while p 26 is used for a photo of a church (?). I kind of get the feeling that the author wants to sell as many books as possible, and holds back from including everything we need. There are several references to his other books. But to finish on a positive note, the extensive artist/song list in "Appendix C - People to Hear" is excellent. You can be sure that some of your favorites are included, and that some suggestions will be new to you.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best instructionals I've tried
Review: This is Vol. 2 of Mark Hanson's "The Art of Travis-Style Picking," one of the best starter manuals for would-be fingerpickers, and it picks up where that excellent book/CD left off. Most of the compositions are by Hanson; if you love Fahey, Kottke, Ackerman, de Grassi, etc. and wouldn't mind learning how to play like that, this is your ticket. The two David Blakeley numbers are also quite fine, as are arrangements of Libby Cotten's "Freight Train" and John Renbourn's version of "White House Blues." I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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