I initially reviewed this book in June 2012, when I was first learning petanque. It is now May 6, 2013. I have been playing, and using the book, for almost a year, and I am revising my review in light of what I have learned in the last year.One of the parts of the book that was most useful to me when I was starting out was the explanation of the difference between bocce and petanque. While useful at the time, that tiny tidbit of information now seems to me trivial. In my earlier review, I wished that the book contained more material about how to construct a petanque court (a "terrain"). I no longer have that wish. With more experience, I have come to realized that Putman is right, and that the best petanque is to be had when playing on natural terrains.As with other reviewers, my first impression of the book was shaped by the introduction and the first chapter. These parts include criticisms of bocce, criticisms of the FPUSA (Federation of Petanque USA), and criticisms of FPUSA clubs for failing to promote a higher level of play. Some other reviewers have criticized this material as "whining" and reduced the number of stars they gave the book. I find the criticisms in those reviews to be rather misleading, for two reasons. First, what seems to others to be "whining" seems to me to be (mostly) simple factual reporting of Putman's experiences. Putnam's reports seem to me realistic because, quite independently, I have had virtually identical experiences. So despite Putman's perhaps over-harsh tone in the early pages of the book, those pages raise valid issues. Second, these parts of the book are not typical of the book as a whole. After Chapter 1, the book's attention is completely devoted to the game itself, and the presentation is calm, clear, and extremely informative.After Chapter 2 (on strategy and etiquette), chapter 3 examines throwing techniques (basically, what happens to the ball when it is thrown or rolled). Chapter 4 is devoted to throwing mechanics (basically, how to move your body in order to be an effective thrower/player). Chapter 5 is devoted to competition boule selection. Chapter 5 is extremely useful in helping you separate important facts from urban legends when it comes to selecting boules. That chapter alone is worth the price of admission.The real strength of the book is Chapter 4: throwing mechanics. Chapter 4 discusses the basics of what you should be doing with your body in order to throw effectively, the various movement options you have, and ways to practice effectively. I didn't begin to appreciate the importance or usefulness of this information until after I had been playing for six or eight months. Only after you have been playing for a while do you start to have questions such as: "When I'm throwing with my right hand, what should I be doing with my left hand?" Or "How should I be holding the boule so that I can get some consistency in my pointing and shooting?" When I started having those questions, I went back to the book, and I found the answers there.I think that as I gain experience, in the future I will have more advanced questions, and I will be able to come back to the book and find the answers. I can see that there is advanced material that, now, is beyond me, but will become relevant and useful as I become more experienced. This is why I think the book deserves 5 stars, and why I think everybody who really wants to learn and play petanque will want to own this book. It has the depth of information that will allow you to come back to it every year or two, study it again, and each time to find something new and useful.Since the book went to press, two things have changed.(1) Petanque America has started selling leisure boules, and Putman now recommends the generic boules from Petanque America (as opposed to Playaboule).(2) The amount of useful information on the Web, about petanque, in English, has improved considerably (google "PETANQUE PORTAL USA").