"The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart is a very beautiful book, but unlike most beautiful bread books, there's a lot of substance here.

This book has caused lots of talk in all the baking forums I'm a member of, and the praise is all but unanimous. It's a good book to get your juices flowing again. Lots of good recipes, and excellent instructions.

Just what you'd expect from an award winning baker and baking teacher. It isn't a surprise this book won the 2002 James Beard baking cookbook Award. Peter Reinhart's strengths are as a baker, as a teacher, and as a cheerleader for the artisan bread movement.

Sadly, his scholarship is at times weak and he misuses terms which has led to considerable confusion in the bread-baking community. isbn.nu usually has the 2001 hardback.