It's not the latest book on this topic, so today, there are other texts that have more recent developments to be sure. I originally read this text about 15 years ago. But what I got from this book, that I didn't get from most, are important insights and clear understanding of the material that's covered. The authors have a deep understanding, and have teaching as their goal in writing. Most other texts in this area are lacking in one or both of those characteristics, and aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
