This is my first fondue cookbook and I am just in love with it. Finally I can have the fondues that they make at the Melting Pot without having to shell out some major $$$$.
First, the book is really well made. It's hard bound, and stays open to the page you want quiet easily. It also has a built in ribbon bookmark to easily mark the fondue your making.
Second, Although I don't care for their little notes about what people say about how great their restaurant is - I did love the little notes throughout the book about the history of fondue, or about the different cheeses you will be using, or even about dipping etiquette.
Third, They give you such good directions. At the beginning of the cheese fondue section they have step by step section with pictures for each step, that applies to almost every cheese fondue you will make. I found it really helpful, and now I understand why I have had some issues with fondue in the past! So far I have made the Garlic and Herb Cheddar Fondue (OMG yum! I also added about twice as much green goddess dressing, because I liked it so much). I also made the Feng Shui Fondue, and "The Original" Chocolate Fondue. All turned out just amazing. As others have noted - I had trouble finding Butterkase. But I spoke with an expert on cheeses at my grociery store, and she instead recommended for me to use 2 very different Fontinas in the Feng Shui. (I used Carr Valley Fontina and substituted the Butterkase with Cademartori Fonti) I think an alternative cheese could easily be used in any one of the three recipes that call for Butterkase if you have trouble finding it. Other then that - all of the ingredients are easy to find and get ahold of. I'm making the Goat Cheese Fondue next! Yum!
Also, some people seemed unclear about what it includes, so to clarify these are the sections in the book: Cheese Fondue, Salads & Dressings, Cooking Styles Fondue, all of their dipping sauces, Chocolate fondue, and cocktails and coffees.
Lastly, What I really love about all of these, and they point this out in the book, is that you can make many of these fondues for little $ if your a poor college student, like me, or you can also spend a lot of money and get some quality cheeses and other ingredients to add, like when I go home and my parents are buying the ingredients :) You also don't absolutely need to have a fondue pot or fondue forks - I just use two pots put together and my normal forks. It makes this a truly great gift for any person who likes to cook.