I bought this book after seeing a spectacular exhibit of Durer's work in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It was one of those events where you wished you could just study the artistry of the pictures for hours. So, I decided to get a book that I could study for hours. The book is really good, but it doesn't take the place of the real thing...I guess the detail of the photography can't capture the reality of the works, but it is close and it still is awe inspiring and there is a lot of great historical background on the pieces. I'm glad I bought the book.