I love Alton Brown, and I love baking - no idea why I had never read this. When I got it for my grandson who is trying to bake semi-professionally, I glanced through it and immediately ordered another for myself.
This is not a cookbook as we know it. This is the science of baking, written in a conversational tone, with real Alton Brown asides, just as though he were standing next to you in the kitchen. As he says, if you are looking for a book of recipes, this isn't it (although he does include the basics). But if you want to learn how to bake, and why attention to detail is so important, you couldn't do better than to start here. ( )

The banana bread recipe in this book has become my all time favorite!

I really enjoy that this is a book about cooking technique rather than just recipes. Alton discusses the various methods used in baking (the "muffin method" for example) and how various ingredients affect the texture and flavor of baked goods.

Definitely a must have reference book! ( )

Awesome book and one of my favorites. I love how he explains why things work the way they do. He always has such great tips and ideas for doing things differently in the kitchen (for instance, using a blender or food processor instead of a sifter). ( )

A great cookbook for those who fear baking. Alton's instruction are simple, the recipes tasty and the layout is easy to read. No wonder the first book won the James Beard award! ( )