This is a very worthwhile addition to a woodcarvers' library. I have not read or worked through the entire book yet (it is truly enormous, and I already have most of the skills so it is re-capping them for me) but it is worth 5 stars for the pictures alone - many, many examples of carved furniture through history. Books with that many photos of historical pieces are hard to come by and usually very, very expensive. So for that alone it is worth the price.
I cannot yet comment on the written content nor how suitable it would be for a beginner, but it is certainly worth a look.