The real merit of this book is the absolutely gorgeous drawings which, if not for the title, I wouldn't have beleived were colored pencil. It is wonderful to see colored pencil treated with the same legitamacy as acrylic or oils, and I now look forward to "painting" with my pencils.
The most useful aspect of the book is the rev iew of materials, where the author breaks down how to use rubber cement thinner, odorless turpentine, and colored markers to enhance your colored pencils, as well as various artistic tools.
Before I used this book, my colored pencils always were grainy, and I didn't even really realize it. There were too many "flecks", too much white showing through the paper. This book taught me a technique called burnishing, which has dramatically and instantly improved my drawings, I'm sure it can do the same for you. I also am experimenting more with layers, after looking at the phenominal results that can be achieved.
My only complaint is the lack of detailed how-to's. The individual colors used are explained, and there is some break down of the process, but not enough to produce satisfactory results. However, I think it is definatley worth the modest price, and would recommend it to anyone interested in this medium.