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Rating: 
Summary: The best intro Kaballah book you will find
Review: Although no expert, I have studied a good amount and have numerous other books on Kaballah (not to mention other magick, ritual etc. books). This is not only the most useful, but also the most intelligently presented introduction to the subject that I've found. Cooper does seem to grind an ax about magickal orders throughout, but I don't exactly disagree with him, and it's an important point, so the redundancy isn't altogether out of hand.Buy this book and use it, if you are ready to think for yourself and do "real magick".
Rating: 
Summary: Good but hypocritical and poorly edited
Review: On the whole, Cooper provides a clear introduction and set of practices, and for those I highly recommend this book. The two major flaws: The editing is horrific, with many more punctuation, grammar, spelling and sequencing errors than you would expect from an established publisher. For example, on one page he makes the point that the Tree of Life has 3 pillars as a manifestation of stability, and then a few pages later, he says an astute mind will have noticed the same relationship. I mean, duh, did he read his own book before it went to press? It doesn't take an astute mind to notice what was explicitly stated a few pages prior. Another is that he often assumes knowledge on the part of the reader which makes no sense in an "intro" text. These errors can be fixed pretty easily, so it makes you wonder how they got past the editors? Were they trying to get it out for the Christmas season? But much more importantly, Cooper constantly whines about the oppressive and flawed beliefs of others while presenting his own as blindly and dogmatically as those he criticizes. He "says" you should think independently, and then goes on to present so many things as "the real truth and don't you believe anything else", that either he didn't mean it when he recommends independent thinking, or he fails to understand how his own language functions. It also seems clear he has a beef with someone and needs to get it off his chest. What isn't as clear, is what made him choose to do that all throughout this book in particular, or what prevents him from seeing his own rigidity. This seems to point to a lack of emotional and intellectual maturity, which you'll simply want to step around in your mind as you pick out the rest in his book of true value. The unfortunately ironic thing is that his hypocrisy sets the same trap for the naive mind that he seems to want to help his reader avoid. In both cases the naive mind ends up seduced into unconsciouly accepting the presuppositions of the writer, because the writer either can't or chooses not to make them explicit. Nonetheless, I think with a bit of rewriting and re-editing,, this could definitely be a 4 or maybe 5 star book.
Rating:
Summary: For those who wish to study Magic in its own right.
Review: This is a comprehensive book in Esoteric principles. Entirely free from the practices of the Dark Ages or the usual dose of mediaeval mediocrity, this book teaches REAL magical principles in a straightforward and logical manner. No more endless lists of dubious god-names or long-winded invocations, instead you are given the truth in an easy to understand way. The book includes instruction in constructing the Cosmic Inworld, the Cosmic Sphere, the Inner Temple, dealing with symbols, the four elements, the planets, the cosmic tides, the Tree of Life, constructing rituals, pathworking, sphereworking and much more regarding the Universe, Life and Everything. You can also visit the authors website and get additional information and FREE downloads about Practical magical techniques at: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/cphllpm
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