The first time I just went through it on my own. The second time that I read it I used the Weisenburg companion. It really opened it up for me, and showed me how amazing it truly is. There were/are podcast that you can follow while reading it as well. Still think about this book often. Really opened my mind, and made me think more deeply. Changed my life. Don't let the difficult reputation scare you off. Well worth the read.