This is a fantastic book that I return to again and again for inspiration. Granted, there is not a lot of text, not a lot of "how to". But, as with anything one tries to do at a high level, photography is mostly art and not science. You can read lots of books with f-stop measurements, shutter speeds, etc., but those won't teach you nearly as well as looking at good pictures, and taking lots of pictures. Elgort's text provides the basics, all one really needs. By studying this book, you get the same lessons as Kelsh's book: Get Close, Study the Light, and Use Lots of Film. You don't get to be a great music composer by reading books on composition, you get better by listening to music and studying scores. Most "how to" photo books are like reading books on bicycle riding -- this book has you actually get on a bicycle and ride. In addition, Camera Ready is a beautiful coffee table book -- the subtitle "How to Shoot Your Kids" also gets a lot of smiles.
By the other reviews, I can see that this may not be a book for everyone: not for techie photographers, not for absolute beginners, etc. But with a little knowledge, this book can really help you with your most important pieces of photographic equipment: your mind and your eye.
