This is one big honkin' knitting book, collecting 25 years of the best knitting articles from Vogue Knitting into one massive pink slip-covered edifice.  I would almost call it a coffee table book, except that it makes for some seriously dry reading.

The Best of Vogue Knitting Magazine collects a shocking number of articles written by knitting luminaries such as Elizabeth Zimmerman, Meg Swansen, Lily Chin, Nicky Epstein, Norah Gaughin, and more.  The articles are strongly tilted towards technical "how to" information, which is part of why this makes such a lousy coffee table book. When I bought it I sat down to read through it, but I ended up bailing about a third of the way through.  

Instead, The Best of Vogue Knitting Magazine is perhaps best used on a case-by-case basis.  For example, recently I was about to start knitting a hat in 2x2 ribbing.  I always use the Long Tail cast on, just because.  (You know how it is!  I'm sure you also have a favorite cast on method that you use just because.)  I dimly remembered that I had heard about a better way to cast on for ribbing, so I busted out The Big Pink Book.

(Actually it's not really pink.  I guess more of a raspberry color.  Still though, I wish they had chose something less pink-adjacent.)

I looked up "casting on" in the index, and it led me to twelve pages of instructions for cast on methods, including six articles by Meg Swanson (one per cast on method) and one article by Mari Lynn Patrick (which described seven separate cast on methods) for a total of thirteen different cast on methods, each described in intricate, very easily followed instructions.

In other words, the book is both breathtakingly comprehensive and more than a little overwhelming.  It is certainly not best suited to the beginning knitter, although I'm sure that there is ample information in it which would help a beginner.  Instead, I think it suits the intermediate to advanced knitter better.  Those of us who know how to knit, and have mastered a lot of techniques, but not necessarily all of the details and procedures.  

I can't help but love the book for this. Sometimes when I visit the knitting section of the book store, I wonder if there is anything in the world other than beginning knitters.  It's understandable that so many books would be geared towards the beginning knitter.  Lowest common denominator and all.  Why limit your audience by talking over the beginners' heads?  It's also beginners who are most motivated to hunt down and purchase books.

Nevertheless, I often feel that intermediate and advanced knitters get left out in the cold.  Short of taking classes at conferences (which we may or may not be able to afford!) there simply aren't many references for pushing our skills farther.  Except that The Best of Vogue Knitting Magazine fits that bill, and will make a worthy addition to any knitter's book collection.