I recently purchased all four volumes of this set. I had searched a long time for a french pastry book that had color plates of the process and finished product, was a learning tool for creating French pastries, and was usable at home as well as for larger volume creations. I was more than happy with the books and dived in to them as soon as they arrived! I have a somewhat extensive backgroud with pastries and in my opinion, these could be used by a beginner successfully, but they would have to be very dedicated? The price has come down and these are a great addition to any baker's library.