8The Talmud is one of the most important holy books of the Hebrew religion and of the world. No English translation of the book existed until the author presented this work. To this day, very little of the actual text seems available in English -- although we find many interpretive commentaries on what it is supposed to mean. The Talmud has a reputation for being long and difficult to digest, but Polano has taken what he believes to be the best material and put it into extremely readable form. As far as holy books of the world are concerned, it is on par with The Koran, The Bhagavad-Gita and, of course, The Bible, in importance. This clearly written edition will allow many to experience The Talmud who may have otherwise not had the chance.