However, what I am not happy with is the actual physical book itself. For over $80 I expected a hardback or textbook type book at least. The thinly printed, poorly binded, damnable little tome I extracted from the box seemed to me a mockery. The pages are so thin, they literally feel like they were printed on tissue paper. I literally am worried the grease from my hands will damage the pages, and I am not a greasy or sweaty, this was in a room temperature space.
I would be worried to have the book in my back or pocket because it's seems like any slight bump or knock could damage it. Honestly it's more of a bundle of leaflets than a book. I am serious when I say it's printed like something you would get for free such as a phone book or one of those little joke books given as a free gift for all guests at a children's birthday party in 1992.
First of all, the pages are thin, but not at all 'onion-skin' thinness. A picture below compares a 706 page book to Assimil's 611 page book. I don't think the pages are thin enough that the oil from your fingers would bleed through and compromise the paper.
The binding seems as good or better than most paperback bindings out there. The pages are sewn in sections and glued to the stem; so, even if you held onto just one page and yanked on the book, the page cannot fall out due to this style of construction; it would have to rip well before that could ever happen. Also, take a look at the binding in both books and compare them. Assimil's glue binding is much more balanced.
The front and back cover pages are a thick grade paper with lots of gloss to protect against damage such as spills. And the book has same-page answers, which I really like. It saves time not having to flip back and forth every question. My book—brand new—cost about $20 USD. (taxes and shipping to store included).
That's all for now. I'll not comment on the course itself as I've only done first few units.