It's an art- says the author who presents it with that distinction. How the wind and the centerboard work together, the details of one's first sail on a sloop, tactics of sailing on the wind, tacking, sailing on a reach, helmsmanship, emergency equipment, safety rules and sailing courtesy, heavy weather and light airs- these are things prospective sailors will have a grip on when they've read this. Knots and lingo too, the whole spiced with Jack Coggins' sharp drawings.