So I'd like to state first that I received and assembled this product all by myself.  It comes in 2 boxes, both of which or heavy and I could not carry by myself.  It took a lot of creativity to get it in my house.  Once I opened the boxes...everything is completely disassembled.  I mean everything.  You have to put in all the connecting hardware and then connect all the panels.  On and off, it tok me a day and a half to assemble this unit!  It even alludes to the time in the instructions that "Rome was built in a day, and so can this bookcase."  But the substrate of MDF is solid, the veneer is thin but looks good, the back piece is thin.  But it looks good and for the price serves well.