Elizabeth Zimmerman is not only the guru of knitting, she's a witty and charming writer as well. I've given this Zimmerman book as a gift (an inexpensive one, I might add) to beginning and advanced knitters alike. (And I've read passages aloud to non-knitters, who've appreciated Elizabeth's humor and ability to relate knitting to almost any other subject.) Probably one of the most interesting parts of the book is Elizabeth's description of knitting in the car even when it's dark out (at least she's not driving, too -- although I believe she probably could). The best thing about this book is that Elizabeth presents knitting as a practical matter, not as something that you must follow stitch-by-stitch from a pattern someone else has written. She explains knitting so that you can create sweaters and other items from your own heart.