Book excerpt: The Michelsen Book of Tables combines two prior books, The American Book of Tables and The Koch Book of Tables, into one volume that contains tables for both Placidus and Koch house systems, Tables of Diurnal Motion to minimize math calculations, Time Zones of the World (names and hours from Greenwich), Solar-Sidereal Time Correction, Time Correction for Longitude log tables, Universal to Ephemeris Time Correction (Delta T), various interpolation tables and more. Also included is an extensive list of major USA and international cities with longitudes and latitudes, such that with this book and your ephemeris you can calculate precise planetary positions and correct house cusps for a great many locations. Add The American Atlas or The International Atlas plus your American Ephemeris or New American Ephemeris for the years needed, and you're equipped to do accurate charts for anywhere in the world. A special bonus section "How to Cast a Natal Horoscope," by Rob Hand and Joshua Brackett, offers complete step-by-step instructions on erecting a horoscope, painlessly and accurately, plus explanations of tables and of the Koch and Placidus house systems and how each is derived. An understanding of horoscope calculation is highly useful even for those who use computer software to produce charts because one is then aware when a chart is wrong though that occasional error in data entry. Also, chart calculation is an essential skill for those seeking professional certification in astrology.