You will need to attend lecture and read the book to do well in the class. Luckily, the chapters in the book aren't long and the tests aren't cumulative. Each test has 3 extra credit questions. The homeworks are not hard, they normally come straight from the book, but it forces you to learn the material. Dr. Matthews is good teacher. He is concerned about student learning and a pretty funny guy. Overall, this is a class/teacher worth taking.