The title says it all. This book was meant to be used. It is organized around a series of transformations that are performed on an image in going from the raw, captured form to usable result. Each step is well identified so you can go directly to the part you need. The methods and routines used are the author's choices, but they give enough information so you can dig deeper if you suspect you may have special needs.
I particularly liked the illustrations. They aren't fancy coffee table illustrations but they are very clear and pointed to what is being discussed. There are many illustrations that show the effect of the procedures on actual images from a variety of fields.