It’s a rather ambitious call, but one I think the author of this book, Tom Ang, does well.

In this rather hefty, but very well organised and presented book, Tom takes you thorough a wide variety of different subjects - from buildings and architecture, to flowers and insects, to people and places.  In fact, the book really does live up to its name.

One of the best things about this book is that it works much more like a “quick reference guide” than a detailed book on any one topic.  You can easily flip open to the section you’re interested in, and read two or three pages that will give you some useful ideas to work with.

Tom’s easy and approachable writing style makes this book a pleasure to read.  He also doesn’t assume that you’ve got any particular type or brand of camera, as the focus is more on the technique than the technology.

Granted, you won’t be an expert on the subject matter after reading the tips on each topic, and it would take a unique individual indeed to read it cover to cover, but as a reference guide, it’s as essential to your photographic library as a dictionary is to a writer’s.

So, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this book.  It’s like a “quick start” guide for just about any photographic subject matter you can imagine.