I highly recommend this book to all new boaters who take the United States Power Squadron Boat Safety class I teach because of the first chapter. It poses and explains all the questions one should ask oneself before purchasing a power boat: size, total cost of ownership, type and style, mooring or trailer considerations, etc etc. Understanding and heeding the sound and solid advice in these pages could easily save a boat owner many Boat Units in avoiding wrong choices (A Boat Unit is $1000). It may help you understand what the "Perfect Boat" might be for you, based on your criteria. A definite "Must Have" on your bookshelf.
I especially liked the early on comparison of the 3 hull types and of the power types - these are some of the first questions a new boater must tackle to make an intelligent choice when shopping for a boat. This book also covers the basics of docking and use of docklines. This isn't the only book you'll buy but it is a good start by a competent, organized writer/seaman. Jeff Siddons