Agree 100%, Goombah. Although the book isn't nearly as carefully written as the Trilogy is produced and directed, it contains many essential nuances and details missing from the films. Puzo was first and foremost a wonderful storyteller in the great Italian tradition, and the book is rich in little and big stories that are either omitted or not fleshed out in the films. My favorites are the Bocchicchio Family and how they got Michael back from Sicily; the recruitment of Al Neri; the Don's rise following Fanucci's murder; and Michael's education at the hands of Dr. Taza. I could have lived without Jules and Lucy, Nino, and most of Johnny Fontaine and the Hollywood stuff that Puzo couldn't resist inflicting on us.