I feel “Spells and Rituals” is a bit of a misnomer here. The book is a collection of folk magic for the home — some spells and rituals are listed, but not many (my definition of ritual here is the more ceremonial magic inspired type, not the small little things we do everyday — your mileage may vary).
I would have called it Spells and Recipes for a Happy Household. Cunningham packs this book full of things you can do to ensure peace and wellbeing in your house, as well as a chapter on portents for when things may NOT be so peaceful.
Is this book essential to every witch’s practice? No, not hardly. However, for the hearthwitch who just doesn’t know where to begin, this book would be a very handy starting point. Someone looking for a very specific spell and quickly would be best advised to look elsewhere — this is the sort of book one has to read cover to cover to really reap the rewards of it.
I know I’m keeping it on my shelf of useful books.