This is the cookbook that every home maker needs to have. There are instructions for everything, from best practices in kitchen design, to setting a table, and how to entertain. There are hundreds of easy to use, well documented recipes, even some old recipes that were old when the book was originally published. The War Time edition also has a handy portion in the back with substitutions for hard to find items that were being sent to the troops. There is a French cookery section as well - I always wondered whether Julia Child may have been inspired by this very book. The copy I have at home is my favorite and most used of the over 50 cookbooks I currently own - it has tape on the spine to keep it from getting any more damaged.