As a beginning quilter, I found this to be one of the most useful, beatifully designed and inspiring books I've come across. 150 block designs are each given a two page spread showing:- A full color illustration of the made up block that uses fabric rather than just solid colors.- A set of four full color fabric blocks joined to show how the pattern works together.- A black and white illustration breaking down the various shapes constructing each block.- A paragraph of history and information.- A rating of how difficult the block is to create. The book organizes blocks into the following categories: One-Patch, Four-Patch, Five-Patch, Nine-Patch, Stars, Hexagons and Octagons, Square-in-a-square, Curved, Fans, Log Cabin, and Applique. One of the really unique and useful features is a full color index showing thumbnails of all the blocks. The spiral binding allows the pages to lie flat when you're working on a certain block, another great feature. Basic information on quilting is included (tools, choosing fabric, etc.) but this book is more useful for ideas than technique. My mother, who has been quilting for many years, loved this book as well (and she tends to be as picky as I am about quilt books!)