When I decided to purchase an Indian cookbook, I looked extensively through the recipes in many different ones before buying this one. Yes, the pictures alone make this a coffee table book worth having, but the recipes were also very well laid out and looked acheivable.
For a point of reference, I am a fairly experienced home cook, but not a pro by any stretch (except possibly a pro at cookbook collecting). This past Saturday night, I had a few friends over and made the following recipes (making them for the first time, I might add) - Butter Chicken, Lamb Korma, Matar Paneer, Raita, Carrot Halva (plus some spiced basmati rice). It was unbelievably scrumptious - with the added bonus of very straightforward, foolproof recipes. I hope to make my way through some more of them very soon. :)
Ditto to several other reviewers' comments that you will need some special spices/ingredients if you don't already have a kitchen stocked for Indian cooking, but nothing that I was unable to find (in the Salt Lake City area). I highly recommend this cookbook.