The lift mechanism works well on this little desk, with several stopping heights. It's a bit noisy, but it's strong and has a good safety mechanism in that you have to raise it all the way up to lower it back down. The little bookshelf is a bit more hidden than in the picture - the top covers it a bit, and it's a little hard to access when sitting at the desk, but you have the option of leaving it open or putting the backing on the "inside" so access is on "outside". The desk is small, but fits in our office well. The top doesn't leave a lot of space for writing, so we mounted the monitor w/ a movable arm w/ tower below. It works great, is secure and provides more workspace.