The first thing those of you who purchase this book will notice is how heavy it is. It is 426 pages, 8 1/2 by 11, and printed on good heavy paper stock. It is made to last. The second thing you will notice is that the top, bottom, and edge of the pages are color coded. After you are familiar with it, you will know, for instance, that Framing Techniques is in the "blue" section. You won't have to go through the index.
There are 12 sections covering everything you can think of--from a breakdown of the rig's parts to exercises to keep you in shape, posture, and extra pieces to compliment the rig. Some of the illustratiions and text may be familiar from the Tiffen Brochures, but they are expanded. The section on static and dynamic balance is worth the price of the entire book. There are also detailed explanations of exercises for practicing the use of a Steadicam.
The illustrations cover from Garrett Brown's first experiments up to the current rigs. But one of the really good things in the book is the comments from operators and how they did certain shots. Larry McConkey's description of setting up the Copa shot in Goodfellas is one of the best. He expected that incredible shot to be cut into short pieces. That is only one of the many tales of operating in the film world.
I don't want to spoil the pleasure those of you who buy the book will have. There is so much information that is valuable to the pro and non-pro--more than I can cover here. As I said, it is a sturdy book, not intended to sit on a shelf, but to be taken down and used and learned from. Expensive--not really in the world of books nowadays and worth the money.
Enjoy.
Author
Logged
Can't wait!! I hope it comes soon. 
