I haven't read this particular book, but in my dealings with Mr. Pandolfini I've learned to appreciate him as the epitome of gentlemanliness, kind, sweet, generous and highly intelligent. He also is a goldmine of experience with well-known figures of American chess.
Abc's of Chess by Pandolfini
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The book is a collection of articles written by Pandolfini which were originally published in the Chess Life Magazine column "ABC's of Chess" in the 1970's and '80's. I've had the book for many years. I enjoy occasionally flipping through it and randomly reading the articles, which I view as nuggets of chess instruction gold. Of course this is not to say that the topics addressed cannot be found addressed in other books or magazines. But the value that Pandolfini brings is the perspective he lends, and his ability to distill the essence of the topic in a succinct presentation which can quickly and easily be read in a single sitting - with the aid of a chess board. The articles in the book can be read in any order, which is convenient.
The only possible criticism I could (hesitatingly) offer is that because the articles were originally intended for magazine publication, many of them tend to be very succinct. I find that in many cases I wish the topic could have been addressed more expansively. That is, the article, not intended to be a comprehensive treatment, leaves me wishing for more. However, this criticism is a minor one, and is not meant to detract from the value of the book.
While the book is not intended for the absolute beginner, it is written for the novice - intermediate level chess audience. Once one has a grasp of how to "properly" approach a game of chess (beyond simply knowing the moves and nothing more), the book can certainly be beneficially read by the intended audience. For the absolute beginner, it might therefore be advisable to first become exposed to good chess fundamentals by spending time with (for example) Pandolfini's introductory chess course "Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess"....
https://www.amazon.com/Pandolfinis-Ultimate-Guide-Chess-Strategies/dp/0743226178/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478832022&sr=1-1&keywords=pandolfini%27s+ultimate+guide+to+chess
Finally, although this does not relate to topic of this thread, one might find it interesting and entertaining to check out the following movie, realeased in 1993, in which Bruce Pandolfini is a major character, played by Ben Kingsley....
"Searching for Bobby Fischer"....the movie...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searching_for_Bobby_Fischer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy6OOUsQhNs
This is a collection of Pandolfini's articles made into a book. I believe this is one of his best book ever. But this book is not for absolute beginner. A very underrated work. Who has this book?
https://www.amazon.com/Abcs-Chess-Bruce-Pandolfini/product-reviews/0671619829/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=recent