Before I bought this book last month, I had never heard of Valentine Warner and the real reasons I decided to get it were the 50% discount (SGD 21.50 at Borders), the outstanding quality of the paper used and the fact that I liked his curly hair. Yes, for the uninitiated, that is the way we women buy things, usually. Well it's become my favourite cookbook of the moment (I am very fickle in that department)  and there are reasons aplenty to like this one. It's loaded not only with recipes but also food facts, anecdotes, opinions, which he never seems to lack and with which he is very generous, humour and ascerbic wit. Apparently Mr Warner is quite the artist as well and the book features a number of his charming drawings - nothing to do with cooking, I know but it's a nice bonus. The photography is excellent and the food shots look natural, never over primped. The recipes feature autumnal ingredients and for someone like me, living in the tropics, the true value of this book is somewhat diminished - many of the ingredients are either unavailable or not easily gotten. I still love the prose and the inspiring and inspired recipes. Even the feel of the unusually thick paper against my fingertips as I flip the pages is a pleasure in itself. Definitely recommended. It's cheaper here then at Amazon.