"The Essential Cookie Cookbook is a great resource book for all types of cookies, from simple to elaborate and from familiar to exotic. It offers a ton of wonderful recipes, with lots of variations, and there is an absolute ton of general baking information. It is a fascinating cookbook to read, although with over 400 recipes eventually I was tired of all the variations and varieties. It is perfect for the do-it-yourselfer, as it has all sorts of charts, tips and ""how-to's"" scattered throughout the pages."