This is a pretty good book. It's pretty clearly targeted at beginning-level players, the strategies in it don't get too advanced or extensive, but also interesting for more experienced players. Scott's already posted about its contents, so I'll review each section and then a general review after them.
Introduction + Intro to Middle-Earth: The Middle-Earth introduction is quite extensive. It nicely summarizes the book series, and also gives you some of the concepts from the Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales that those who haven't read them wouldn't know.
1-2: Starter/Standard rules: Basically an expanded version of the rulebook. It has the complete text of it (revised, though), and lots of extras. The clarifications are listed right next to the sections they deal with, and there are also fairly good example turns.
3: Optional rules: Several new ones included that weren't in the rulebook. I particularly like the Wizard as Starting Character rules and the expanded Solitaire ones (with hazard guidelines). It's now much easier to play a Solitaire game without being slightly prejudiced towards yourself.
4: Play example: A nice example of three full game turns. Better than the ones I know of which only cover one, because you get both setup and play information.
5: Errata/Clarifications: More of 1-2's stuff. Plus lots and lots of card errata. Significantly offsets several cards. Also makes some minor changes to general strategy with general clarifications + changes.
6: Teaching Guidelines: A short (1-page) section with a nice little deck to teach beginners the basic rules of play.
7: Tournament Guidelines: Very nice section. A good basis for starting tournaments, like my possible idea for an online one (with some adjustments + additional protocals for IRC difficulties).
8: Basic Strategies: One of the weaker sections of the book. The strategy isn't all that insightful, though it does have a few ideas (though you can get many of them for free in my posting). And for hazard ideas, I have yet to see a working Orc strategy like they listed.
9: Scenarios: Big section, and worth it. Its first feature is the actual scenarios. For all you Hobbit lovers, there's a complete scenario (yes, it's solitaire) which you win by accomplishing its plot instead of the LotR one, and it follows the mechanics of it better. Plus lots of other good ones, for various player configurations and play levels. Such as an exclusively One Ring scenario. Finally, it establishes a good format for making your own scenarios, another project I'm working on.
10: Card lists: Pretty nice reference, with complete rarity, artist, type, and semi-spoiler lists (semi because they don't say everything, only some of each card's attributes).
Appendices: Well, they do have something new there. There's a color supplement in the back with very good region maps, showing playable locations for Hazards, Characters, and Resources, plus a general map with playable types of things for sites. Also shows (I think) all region connections, making it much easier to plan region routes (almost eliminating the need for region cards any more).
Overall, this is a very useful guide for beginning to intermediate players, with some good sections for advanced ones too. Well worth its price for a strategy guide. I give it, by my rating scale, a 9.0.
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