diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8989eed..2bf2e25 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Revision history for http-barf
 
-## 0.1.0.0 -- YYYY-mm-dd
+## 0.1.0.0 -- 2024-07-21
 
-* First version. Released on an unsuspecting world.
+* initial support for sending simple http requests with monoidal interface
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54b7bfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# http barf
+
+HTTP barf is a dead simple library to make http requests. It provides helper functions to use different http methods, it supports 
+both insecure and secure connections without having to deal with managers and the requests can be trivially modified using a monoidal
+combinator library. 
+
+You may use it if you just have to vomit out a quick script and don't want to deal with all the complexities of involving a library 
+that provides more features or more safety guarantees.
diff --git a/http-barf.cabal b/http-barf.cabal
index 8c0f59c..aef94f0 100644
--- a/http-barf.cabal
+++ b/http-barf.cabal
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@ cabal-version:   3.4
 name:            http-barf
 version:         0.1.0.0
 synopsis:        a library to make http requests without worrying much 
+description:
+  a dead simple library to make http requests. It provides helper functions to use different http methods, it supports 
+  both insecure and secure connections without having to deal with managers and the requests can be trivially modified using a monoidal
+  combinator library
 
--- description:
 homepage:        https://git.mangoiv.com/mangoiv/http-barf
 license:         AGPL-3.0-or-later
 license-file:    LICENSE
@@ -13,9 +16,9 @@ maintainer:      contact@mangoiv.com
 -- copyright:
 category:        Network
 build-type:      Simple
-extra-doc-files: CHANGELOG.md
-
--- extra-source-files:
+extra-doc-files:
+  CHANGELOG.md
+  README.md
 
 common common-all
   ghc-options: -Wall
diff --git a/src/Network/HTTP/Barf/Internal.hs b/src/Network/HTTP/Barf/Internal.hs
index 0a06d9d..eec9c47 100644
--- a/src/Network/HTTP/Barf/Internal.hs
+++ b/src/Network/HTTP/Barf/Internal.hs
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import Network.HTTP.Client
 import Network.HTTP.Client.TLS (tlsManagerSettings)
 import System.Exit (exitFailure)
 import System.IO (hPutStrLn, stderr)
-import Prelude hiding (head)
 
 -- | a data type representing an http request
 data Req' = MkReq'
@@ -54,6 +53,8 @@ data Req' = MkReq'
 defaultReq' :: Req'
 defaultReq' = MkReq' {queryParams = mempty, headers = mempty, jsonBody = Nothing, inspectRequest = False, dryRun = False}
 
+-- | The type of request modifications.
+--   The most important features of this type are the 'Monoid', 'Semigroup' and 'IsList' instances.
 newtype Req = MkReq {appReq :: Req' -> Req'}
   deriving
     ( Semigroup
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ instance IsList Req where
 get_
   :: MonadIO m
   => String
-  -- ^ the url toiconnect to
+  -- ^ the url to connect to
   -> Req
   -- ^ the modifier(s) to the request
   -> m LazyByteString
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ buildRequestFromReq method url req = do
 
 httpWithManager :: MonadIO m => String -> String -> Req -> m LazyByteString
 httpWithManager method url req = liftIO do
-  r <- buildRequestFromReq method url $ appReq req defaultReq'
+  r <- buildRequestFromReq method url $ req.appReq defaultReq'
   manager <- newManager if r.secure then tlsManagerSettings else defaultManagerSettings
   responseBody <$> httpLbs r manager
 
@@ -177,7 +178,10 @@ h_ k v = MkReq \req -> req {headers = (k, v) `V.cons` req.headers}
 
 -- | 'v_' like "value"
 --
--- if the json body is already set, it *will be overwritten*
+-- this is a convenience helper for using @'j_' @Value@. It is useful
+-- if you just want to quickly build a json body for your request.
+--
+-- if the json body is already set, it /will be overwritten/
 v_
   :: Value
   -- ^ the value of the json body
@@ -186,7 +190,7 @@ v_ val = MkReq \req -> req {jsonBody = Just val}
 
 -- | 'j_' like "json"
 --
--- if the json body is already set, it *will be overwritten*
+-- if the json body is already set, it /will be overwritten/
 j_
   :: Aeson.ToJSON a
   => a