Get the paperback version....will opes and stay open more easily than the hard cover.
Linda C

Doesn't matter to me. But a book holder would be great..

I have the paperback edition of that book.

My gripe about the layout with the paperback (and I don't know if this is true with the hardback) is that the recipes are formatted with the basic instruction and times (i.e. Boil for 10 minutes) on the left and all the detailed instructions are on the right. And that would be fine except the pages are not wide enough for that formatting and so the end of nearly every sentence "falls" into the curve of the center fold.

Yes, it is hard to keep the pages open, even with something on top of them. I use two big rubber bands. Not pretty, but very effective.

You didn't say if you are ordering from on-line or buying from a store. If you are buying from a store, take a good look at both and see if the hardback's spine will allow the book lay open more easily than the paperback and if they allowed a wider right-hand margin.

The covers on hardcover books are more durable than those on paperbacks, but these days the pages are usually glued together just like in paperbacks (rather than sewn), so a paperback and hardcover binding of the same book are likely to have about the same lifetime before pages start falling out.

I would follow Beanthere's advice and see which lies open better and has the better layout.

I prefer hardbacks, hands down.

I perfer hard cover most of my cookbook collection is hard cover and I find they hold up better over the repeated use year after year

I'd prefer either one, but if it's a gift I'd go with the hard cover, given a choice!