if you know a little about tig welding, or like me did a bit of tig welding 40 years ago
then this is a good book to pickup and get some instruction from.
it is light on fine details needed by those that have never held a tig torch, but there is enough content to pay the price of admission in my opinion.
i would however look for the latest edition you can find as it will likely have more information relating to inverter power supplies, typical of those on the market today.
a bit of experience, a relatively inexpensive dc inverter tig welder, and this book and you will be off and running for mild steel. step up to an ac/dc inverter and with this book you can be up and welding aluminum to the extent that you will have solid welds, if not pretty. pretty comes with practice.