I got this for Christmas and while it looks interesting, it's certainly not a hold-your-hand type of book...

Anyone else have this book? How should I go about using it? I'd like to start from scratch so should I learn the scales it has from start to finish? Do I really have to learn ALL the scales? I mean, it seems like an enormous undertaking!

Just curious, for those who have this book, how do you use it? BTW, I'm trying to learn this stuff by myself. Teachers are few and far between.

Thanks.

are you speaking of Paul Westwood's book, or another?

If you are talking about the Paul Westwood Bass Bible, it doesn't have that many scales. Most of it is grooves.

If you haven't already done so, listen to the CDs. Read the music along (or try to follow, depending on your standard notation skills) with it. It'll help you visualise basslines a lot.

Essentially, it's not exactly aimed at beginners, or at least, not total newbies. Its function is not to teach you HOW to play bass, but rather, once you know how to play, to give you examples of what you can play.

exactly. I look at it as a style reference more than an instructional method book.
it's also great for practicing reading.