It took me a little while to get the hang of the smart book. I get the most out of it by reading through the material. When it's grayed out, click on the grayed out material to read it. When it prompts you to practice, practice. If you're unsure about the answer, choose "Read about it" and go back to the question. It will prompt you then to read more when you've answered the questions to a certain point. Mind you, you don't have to do that, you can choose to keep going with the questions if you know them. Once you get through all of the questions, you'll get a message you've completed the section (GREAT feeling!). You can go to reports to see your progress.