This book is a translation of an old book written in 1905 and has largely been lost to history. The introduction shows us that even with current techniques, there is often a bit of nuance that can still be gleaned from the knowledge of older techniques.
I will say that reading this book does take a bit of Judo, Jiu-jitsu or grappling knowledge, simply to picture what the author is referring to and how to understand how balance is taken or regained. The photos are grainy, black and white pictures of techniques that still exist and are still taught in many circles. It seems that we have just been reinventing the wheel for over 100 years.
While no book can be an exhaustive list of takedowns, this book gives us some tried and true techniques as well as food for thought. It is fun to see and the techniques from their genesis or see how far they have come. I recommend this book as an augment to a stand up training regiment, or as a historical book. Much fun for those that like both.