Reading this book is a joy. Chapters are written in a consistent format and style, and the illustrations are simply superb. The scope of figures fare comparably with that of an atlas. The text is very easy to read. However, this book is not best geared for novices. I recommend <Essential echocardiography> by Solomon et al. as the entry level text. That text has great explanations on the basics of ultrasound with a rich collection of photos. Most important of all, its last chapter on the interpretation of transesophageal echo boasts an unparalleled panel of illustrations on the myriad planes of images one can acquire. No other text presents this difficult topic better.
If you are preparing for the echo board, you may wish to follow this sequence of study:
Essential echocardiography -> The echo manual -> Feigenbaum's echocardiography -> Echocardiography review guide