People who don't want to build an entire Linux system from scratch probably don't want to read this book. If you, however, want to learn more about what happens behind the scenes, in particular what happens between turning on the computer and seeing the command prompt, you may want to read the "From Power Up To Bash Prompt" (P2B) HOWTO. This HOWTO builds a bare system, in way similar to the one this book uses, but it focuses more on just installing a bootable system instead of a complete system.
To decide whether to read this book or the P2B HOWTO, ask yourself this question: "Is my main objective to get a working Linux system that I'm going to build myself and, along the way, learn what every component of a system is for, or is just the learning part my main objective?" If you want to build and learn, read this book. If you just want to learn the basics, then the P2B HOWTO is probably better material to read.
The "From Power Up To Bash Prompt" HOWTO is located at http://www.netspace.net.au/~gok/power2bash/