My lamp is beautiful, sturdy and perfect for reading, which is specifically what I purchased it for. I have very thick wall-to-wall carpeting in the room where it lives, and I've had no troubles with it falling over, as another reviewer mentioned. The base is very heavy. It took all of 4 minutes to assemble and it's very easy to adjust the height of the light for various needs. I also like that the on/off switch is just above the light itself, rather than on the floor, which is no convenient for a ready lamp. The design is very unique. I love it!