The earlier you take a look at the J Phrases book and find that it starts to make sense, the better. There are few better ways to learn a language than by reading material written by experts, and that is exactly what this book is. Think of it as a collection of the greatest J short stories; you'll delight and marvel as you read through it, but it can also be a practical addition to your kit of software tools. If you run across a particular requirement in one of your applications for a tight little kernel of math, statistics, or data manipulation, chances are good that you can refer to the J Phrases and find what you want, or at least a starting point.