Hello all,
Among the very best of woodworking books in my opinion is Silas Kopf's "A Marquetry Odyssey". Includes historical account of the craft, biography and marquetry how-to.
His work is simply incredible, he is first an artist and then a woodworker/craftsman IMHO. I had seen the book a couple years ago (i ordered it through inter-library loan) and finally just got a personal copy because (FYI) several book sellers are selling for ~$20 shipped through amazon.
If you haven't seen his work before, i'd recommend goggling him for some humbling inspiration if nothing else.
Cheers,
Chris C.