The book is useful if you are doing a project which is similar. I've done CD and cassette covers for instance, so the projects merging type and image helped give me some ideas. The most value was actually in picking apart the materials on the CD. The layer effects got a lot richer in PS6 and by taking their's apart I've managed to make quite a few of my own for frames and such. Please note that I dislike PS5 (it was worse than 4!), but 6 and 7 were definate improvements. That may be reflected in the books. Carolly