I originally bought another book by the same author (Metalsmithing Made Easy) and realized with that one, I was in a bit over my head. (I am pretty new to metal work.) So I am holding off on working through that one, but this one turned up during my browsing on Amazon so I figured I would give it a try first. I'm glad I did. It has made me enthusiastic about continuing on with metal working and has grounded me in some essentials for moving on to more advanced works. Due to the amount of reading I've been doing about soldering and metal work lately, I know there is more out there than this book teaches. But, I don't have a problem with the scope of the book. It is called "SIMPLE Soldering," and by limiting the materials (for example, to silver colored solder on copper metal for the practice pieces), you really get a chance to practice technique. Once you get a feel for the basics, *then* you can move on to other materials. (Plus, limited materials save you a bit of money. Though I will point out, to do the projects in this book or any metal soldering in general, you will need to lay out a couple hundred dollars, minimum, for tools and supplies. This is not a cheap hobby, though if you invest in good tools, those should last you awhile.) With respect to tools, this book does include a chapter about tools and materials, and I think this chapter is more useful than in some other books on similar topics. I feel like a lot of thought was put into it and it wasn't just slapped together for filler. I can't say this about tools sections in every craft book. (Also, love the part that tells you what different gauges of sheet metal are used for. It seems so basic but I really don't think I've seen a chart like that anywhere else, and it is so helpful.) Anyway, the book is printed in full color on high quality, glossy paper (much thicker than the pages of a magazine). The photography is wonderful -- it is done with an artistic eye but still shows you exactly what you need to know. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. I like the approach here. You start by doing a sampler with copper squares. Each square teaches you a new technique. Some are simple, like using jump rings (you do learn a few "cold connections" in this book) or texturizing, but others are more complex, like forming a dome and soldering it to a square, or setting cabochons. They are organized in order of complexity. Then there are some projects that use the techniques you have learned; you can see a few examples of those on the cover. Of course not every project is to my taste (they rarely are in craft books), but I really think there is a huge amount of value in even the sampler section. This does come with a DVD. I haven't spent much time with the DVD because I am just one of those people who prefers to read instructions instead of watch them. But, I do appreciate its inclusion. I know we all learn differently, and working with metal is a bit different from stringing beads (most of my past experience with jewelry making), and I'm sure it will be helpful for a lot of people. Plus, it didn't make the book more expensive. Anyway, as a beginner, I can say that I find this book quite valuable as a resource, and I like the approach to teaching as well. And whether you prefer to learn by reading or watching, there is something for you here. Read more