If you really want to know TeX, this is the book to have. However, if you are a complete beginner, I'd recommend you first look at Michael Doob's A Gentle Introduction to Tex. It will get you off to a running start and prepare you to profitably read Knuth's book.



If you are fairly sophisticated, you can learn TeX from scratch reading this book. I managed this, whilst at the same time mastering the vagaries of UNIX running on a vax and taking the (old version) of the vi bull by the horns. It was difficult. But you won't likely be facing the daunting technological obstacles I described today.



Dump that hapless Word equation editor and become a TeXpert. Happy TeXing!