This was the first book on the kabbalah I ever bought for myself, and it continues to reside upon my shelf in a place of honor because of that. While Ms. Wippler's knowledge of historical Jewish kabbalah or esoteric kabbalah is not as extensive as other authors I've also spied listed in forum (this only thread I'm going to manage to read/respond to tonight, already told Umbrae I was going to bed lol), I think its well worth picking up because it offers a perspective into some of the less comon, more cosmological and psychological aspects of kabbalah many books neglect.
The style of writing makes it an easy read, the chapter on the nature of the soul is wonderful, there are some unusual concepts that you might take or leave, but I think its a keeper, esp to get a very broad taste of kabbalistic ideas beyond the Tree and the Alphabet.
~Laurel