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An excellent story well told. Much of the action revolves around communication/cultural divides between sentient species in the universe Herbert builds for this and the sequel, The Dosadi Experiment. There is also murder, mystery, and intrigue, with a few interesting surprises. Whipping Star and Dosadi Experiment both basically stand alone, although the latter makes a few passing references to the former. Reading them in order is not necessary but maybe slightly helpful, or one could read only one or the other if desired.
Herbert's characters are colorful, though only the main characters are deeply developed. His writing and especially the dialogues are what make the work stand out. If you want a taste of Frank Herbert without the commitment that is the Dune series, this may be an excellent place to start, although there is always the The Jesus Incident-The Lazarus Effectduo, but they are a little harder to grasp. One will find some of Herbert's favorite features included, such as organic furniture (chairdogs) and throw-back primitiveness in an otherwise advanced universe, but certainly put together in distinct combinations.
A very good read, a fun and thought-provoking treat.