This book is an excellent book for a beginner. There are lots of instructions generously illustrated. The spiral lay-fat binding is a nice touch, too. The patterns are simple and geared for beginners, showcasing a number of different techniques. The problem is that most of the patterns are pretty ugly and uninspired. Contrast that with books like Debbie Bliss's simple knits for babies which are very simple but still beautiful patterns. However, someone who is creative and good at other crafts would be able to modify most of the patterns to be more interesting.
