This has to be the most beautiful, well-researched and comprehensive book on any cuisine, bar none! And very importantly, David Thompson has included a wealth of history and background info on Thai gastronomy, culture and lifestyles, to help put everything into context. In that sense, I'm actually glad this is written by a non-Thai (although first that slightly put me off), as many things which to a Thai might have been obvious are explained by Thompson as only he can who has had to make a conscious effort to learn them from scratch.
One word of warning, though: the recipes are complex, and many of the ingredients can only be found in specialist (Thai / SE Asian) stores, and even then it's a challenge. So in a way the book is a bit frustrating - you're eager to get on and try the recipes, only to discover that you cannot find some crucial spice, herb or fermented-what-not.
Still, the sheer pleasure of just reading this...!