No, this book is not good. The reason is that it is far from plain and simple, but just the opposite, it’s very confusing, unfocused, and shallow in its interpretations of the cards. Take this for example (and I’m not telling which card do these interpretative phrases refer to), this is the kind of interpretation style you’ll find in the book:

“Not getting one’s wish. Unrealistic desires. Too much of a good thing. Hedonism. Excessive preoccupation with sensual pleasure. Complacency. Vanity. Self-congratulation. Overindulgance. Extravagance. Superficial values. Greed. Shallowness. Emptiness. Financial loss. Deprivation. Lack of money. Seeking fulfillment from drugs or alcochol. Drug abuse. Gluttony. Abusing one’s body. The culture of narcissism. Masturbation. Hedonistic self-centeredness. Superficiality in relationships. Unable to step into the other person’s shoes. Lack of charity. Abuse. When you’ve got it, flaunt it. Mother’s little helper. I can’t get no satisfaction. We are the hollow men. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die.”

Can you get anything of it? I should say: Too many cooks spoil the broth. And you get 156 entries of key words and phrases in this vein! Plus a plenty of dubious and laughable characteristics of People that the cards supposedly represent, like “Someone who feels bitter, resentful, or burnt out. A pessimist. A woman who miscarried. A mistreated child.” Such descriptions are outdated and wrong, to say nothing of ethical appropriateness. Speaking of the latter, there are also some nonchalant remarks concerning death like “you will learn of the death of someone you knew.” Utterly insensitive and tacktless! And none of these explanatory remarks is put into any perspective, there are no references (say, to a situation, a historical background, or at least who and when did dare to predict death in such a blunt manner). The words are just tastelessly piled together, and then what? Frankly, it’s a bit hard to get intuitive with all this flood of words (but, ok, I admit, suddenly one of the words might ring to you, like “Masturbation” from the interpretation given above. Maybe that was the point after all.)

Also, I don’t like the illustrations in the book that are from Robin Wood’s deck. They are kitschy, shallow, and syrupy-sugary tacky. But sure enough, tastes vary.

(I raised this rating closer to 2 stars because just recently I found a really terrible book on tarot, and it’s “Tall Dark Stranger” by Corrine Kenner. Now that one is a true insult to a reader. Mostly it’s just a copy-paste from one section to another, it’s horribly unintelligent and completely uninformative. In this respect, “Tarot Plain and Simple” looks like a gem.)
Rating: 2 / 5

“TAROT,PLAIN AND SIMPLE” IS THE BEST BOOK I’VE EVER READ ON THE TAROT.IT REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND MY DECK BETTER(I USE THE RIDER WAITE DECK)I’M A 14YEAR OLD TAROT READER AND BELIEVE ME THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU LEARN TAROT.I’VE READ MANY BOOKS ON THE TAROT AND THIS ONE IS THE ONE!YA KNOW THE ONE!!!!!THE DECK USED IN THIS BOOK IS GREAT!(THE ROBIN WOOD DECK)I’M PLANNING TO GET THAT DECK SOMETIME AROUND X-MAS AS A GIFT TO MYSELF!PLEASE GET “TAROT,PLAIN AND SIMPLE”
Rating: 5 / 5