If you're a complete newbie to woodworking, you may find this book is not the "starting point" you are looking for, but I would advise you to buy it anyway. The information is basic, even fundamentally important to all aspects of the craft of woodworking.
Sooner or later, you're going to need to put a finish on something you've made. You'll have questions about what the advantages and disadvantages of different finishes are, or where (and which) abrasives come into the finishing process.
You may get the idea that you need a shop full of bench planes, from #1 to #8, and a mass of specials. Wouldn't it be good if several experts, who have access to masses of equipment, told you, quite honestly, which planes they actually used 95% of the time?
If you're committed to machines, it would be nice to know that you could get more information than your owner's manual provides about safety, jigs, setting-up for accuracy and, of course, general maintenance.
This book has it all, just as the title suggests. The photos and drawings are excellent and the captions and notes informative.
What I appreciate, above all, in my growing collection of Taunton books, is the balanced view that the editors take. One old-timer always cuts the dovetail 'pins' first; another does the 'tails' first. One person always uses a machine for certain operations; another prefers to hand-work the same kind of piece.
The greatest strength of this book is that it will help YOU to work out how YOU want to approach the craft of woodworking. The fact that it's bargain-priced is just icing on an already delicious cake. Buy it now and enjoy it immediately, and long into the future.
Happy woodworking!