If you don't frequent asian market much you miss out on a whole world of veggies! I've been wandering in the Chinese grocery markets and see these green things and don't have a clue what they are or how to cook them, all I know is that if other people can eat it and not get sick (or die), I should be able to too. So got this book and it has helped to introduce me. It's not an exhaustive encyclopedia (which still has to be created) since it doesn't have some of the veggies in my markets but it's a start. I still have to learn how best to cook them now (I tried doing my normal cooking on one of them and it was awful!). Yea, I'm one of those people who gets kind of bored with the same old foods so this is fun. Book isn't exactly "pocket" size but that's ok--I often will buy some interesting-looking food and deal with what to do with it when I get home (where the book is). Happy feeding!