I teach English as a second language at a college, and I am currently teaching an idioms course with this book as the text. Not only is it an excellent text for the student, but it also provides a great framework for the teacher as well. There are plenty of activities to choose from; some are self-directed and many others are group-oriented so that students can actually practice using the idioms in speech (so important). These books have probably cut my preparation time for these classes down to one-tenth of what it might be. And from a teacher's point of view, the less time you spend on prep, the more energy you've got for actually teaching. The final thing I want to say about this book is that it's a lot of fun for the students. The dialogues are often pretty funny, and my students really enjoy doing the role-playing and dialogues that are in the text.

I have read good books on the subject of idioms, but if you want a straightforward approach this is the one. Very simple, it has a pleasant layout that makes good use of illustrations that depict daily situations which you can easily relate to. While other idiom books are somewhat frugal, it takes no time for you to be overflowed with lots of examples that are easily understood reading this one. Besides that, similar phrases that could mislead the learner are presented together. This is not a reference book, it is one to be read and put to use right away.