We're quite happy with this. All 5 shelves, including the top, are loaded with books and it shows no signs of strain. The style plays well with some similar, much pricier pieces from West Elm. The "wood" is laminate, but it is texture grained and, especially for the price, looks pretty good. Used as a bookshelf, with just the edges of the shelves exposed, it's great. Sure, solid wood would have been nice, but then the price would have been considerably higher. As a space to store books that's considerably more attractive than the ubiquitous Ikea Billy, this works for us (it does help to have bookends).