I have the book, and although I have seen places where it has become over-used, or depended upon, I still wouldn't give it up. But in my copy of the book, I've added every extra verse that I've come across (it's hard -there's not much room), the chords I use, etc. So its my own personal reference book.

I often play at campfires when I visit my father in Northern Wisconsin, and I've never had anybody tell me "that's not how it goes" - whether I did the RUS version or another version of a song in the book (I don't play FROM the book - can't see in the campfire light anyhow...) Sometimes we pass the book around (with a flashlight) to get ideas for the next song - but whoever picks the song does it, their way, no complaints from the rest of us. Maybe us Wisconsinites are just too agreeable.... ;-)

We found some songs in the book that looked interesting but that nobody in our little group of friends knew, so I invested in the entire set of teaching tapes. Wouldn't do that again...the singing on the tapes is pretty lame. I've found it's better to locate one of the sources listed to hear the song....and then found more music in THAT source that I maybe never would have discovered if I weren't searching for something I first found in RUS.

ANY source of printed music, including the DT, could be "mis-used" in the hands of those kinds of people.

And I'm wondering where Joe found sex that was better than music....