I was a bit confused by the "excellent reference documentation" regarding Chef, as well. The documentation I have read has been out of sync, occasionally contradictory piece-meal. I have yet to find anything more useful than just reading recipes.
I wonder if the author knows of resources other than that book and the wiki.
I have had a very different experience from yours. I have found the Chef wiki to be consistently well written and consistent. Please note that I have only been working with Chef for the past three weeks, so they may have been brought into that state quite recently.
I agree. What Chef lacks in documentation it makes up for it in community support. I have only been messing with Chef for a few weeks off and on but there is always someone to answer my questions in the IRC channel. Often it is someone from Opscode.
I wonder if the author knows of resources other than that book and the wiki.