Definitely worth the money, and I was able to assemble it alone without much difficulty. The drawing of the bookcase in the instructions is oriented differently on the pages, which is initially confusing  (am I looking at the top of the case, or the bottom).  Only complaint is that the bottom edges of the arched pieces are not fully painted.  This would definitely be noticeable with the taller (72)bookcase.  Paint is cheap - should not have skimped there. Also I recommend that you lay the bookcase flat when attaching the backing board, don't try it standing up.