Yes it is dry in the first few chapters.
I forced myself thru it and it was slow going.
But once i hit the examination and treatment sections, things got a lot more interesting and practical.
Just jump ahead to the treatment section about setting a wider base to sit on for starters then work your way backwards thru the book to get the rationale behind the treatment - it makes reading a bit more interesting!
Also, it helps if you are into that sort of stuff - i am schizophrenic in that way - sometimes i love the detail, other times i abhor it!