I was so relieved to see that other bakers were disappointed with this book. The recipes SEEM as if they'd be good, but they're so disappointing, and the directions were overly confusing. I was once a professional baker and I found this book a big ol' waste of my money. The little guide to cookies has better recipes for much less dough.

I am a professional pastry chef and I found that most of Mr. Malgeri's recipes are avaiable in many other books ...in other words they are neither unique or unusual ...and many of the recipes are just not very good representatives of their "TYPE"...I would not recommend this book. I would recommend "The Good Cookie" by Tish Boyle...better recipes and better writing!

I love this book! Filled with very achievable recipes that are just a little different, instead of yet more variations of chocolate chip cookies! The forms are all things you recognize and feel comfortable with, but with wonderful flavor combinations and unique recipes that you maybe haven't encountered before. I've only tried a couple so far - both of which turned out very yummy - but I'm looking forward to trying nearly every recipe in this volume. Give it a try!

this is one of the worst books I've ever purchased...One Christmas i used several recipes from "cookies unlimited"...all turned out inedible....I don't just mean they were a little disappointing...but rather disgusting and terrible...even my dog wouldn't eat one....alas...it has a new home.....at goodwill...

I'm so glad I only got this book out of the library. I would want my money back if I had paid for it! Granted I am only trying my first recipe from it now (Linzer Roll Cookies), but the directions are contradictory and full of errors. For instance, the recipe tells you to roll the dough out into one 10 inch square and in the next sentences tell you what to do with the rectangles of dough. So we go from one square to some rectangles. So Nick, which one is it supposed to be? I guess I'll just have to wing it! Hello, isn't a professional pastry chef supposed to know his stuff? I'll stick with the King Arthur Flour, their new cookie book is fabulous as is their Complete Baking book.

I've tried several of the recipes in this book, and most of them were very successful. A couple of the recipes were too sweet for my family's taste, but I made the chocolate chip cookies for my husband's office around the holidays, and two people said they were, hands down, the best chocolate chip cookies they'd ever had.The book is divided into cookie category sections (e.g., refrigerator, drop, bars, etc.) and there are many, many recipes with interesting backgrounds on all of them. There's also a great reference section in the back for ordering specialty items, cookie presses, and other things you might not find locally (although most of the recipes can be made with everyday ingredients & equipment).Overall, I think this is a wonderful cookbook and it's by far the best cookie book I've ever used. I turn to it again and again not only when I'm planning on making cookies, but when I just want to read about them and drool over the pictures, too.