Like all Jan Eaton's books from Search Press, this one is beautifully produced, with nice clear pictures. But oh dear, as with her Encyclopedia of Crochet Techniques (note: this is *not* the same book, as another reviewer thought), the marketing department's enthusiasm seems to have run away with them. The subtitle "300 tips, techniques and trade secrets" appears to promise something that for me it just doesn't deliver.
From this description I was expecting a book for the intermediate to advanced crocheter, with discussion on alternative methods, dealing with common problems and so on. But it's another beginner book, giving a quick overview of a broad range of crochet stitches and types of project.
Many (most?) of the tips are simply basic instructions, e.g. in the Techniques section, how to make a slipknot, how to work into a foundation chain, how to work various kinds of stitches. There are "Fix It" and "Try It" sidebars at various points, but again most of the fixes are basic common sense rather than expert tips; for example, if unsure where to place patch pockets you are advised to pin them on and try on the garment in front of a mirror. If you're finding it hard following a pattern with multiple sizes, use a highlighter pen or circle the numbers for your size.
There's a tip on working extra starting chains to avoid counting mistakes. Yet, although extended (Elmore) stitches have their own section, there's no mention that the very same technique can be used to work a foundation row and starting chain in one, thereby eliminating any miscounting *and* the dreaded tight-chain problem.
I was delighted to see a section on socks and was so disappointed to find no useful information there at all. Tip 233 tells us that heel flap-and-gusset shaping is better than short-row shaping for large feet and high insteps, and that's it; there is no information on what these methods are or how to work them. Another tip tells us stitch markers are handy when working socks, and a sidebar explains how to knit (yes, I did mean *knit*) the cuff.
To avoid sounding totally negative, the section on colour is interesting and the book is, as I said at the beginning, very nice to look at. Beginners will love it. However, in my opinion, it's sadly another triumph of style over substance. If you're not a beginner, get The Crochet Answer Book instead.