It depends.

Cascading style attributes is a very useful feature but you have to understand what the implications are when you decide to change a base style. For instance, if I want to change the font for my 'body text' style, it is good if all the related styles also change their font to match (eg bullet lists, numbered lists, table text etc). However, it might be a problem if I change the indentation of that same style and children styles get that indent change too.

__________________
Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia