I received this book as a gift from a non-cycling family member. At first I was excited and eagerly read it. Well, it is interesting, and does provide some advice on how to select components, but mainly its a coffee table book to read when your significant other is watching some show/movie you are not interested in.
DINGS: --If you are an experienced rider, serious about building your own bike, and read current bicycling magazines, you probably already know more than what this book will tell you, --the components are circa 1997-2000. --It does not give a comprehensive step-by-step process to buy bike components, --likewise it is not a comprehensive installation checklist, and it is *very poor* in how to fine tune installed components such as derelliers (sic) or forks. --It does a poor job on geometry and sizing.
PROS: You can find it in discount/half-price book shops for less than $10, it is colorfully illustrated, it makes a good book for a kid interested in bikes, it provides an overall approach to designing, sourcing, and building a custom bike.