I read Carson before I read any of the other modern/recent Holdem books, and it's very good. It goes extensively into things apart from the actual game play, things like table selection and card room etiquette, and even into some pretty heady stuff (like, what's the difference between a poker theory and a poker model?) so it's very complete in that sense.
I learned mostly from Carson and modeled my play after his advice before I (weak/)tightened up by reading Lee Jones, then made some major adjustments after reading Ed's book. Compared to these latter two, Carson lacks sorely in discussion of play on the big bet streets. It's very good in all other respects, and I recommend it as an addition to your library.
There was/is something of a disagreement (some called it a feud) between Mason and Carson over on RGP some years back. I don't remember all of the content, but I think it centered upon the lack of 4th/5th street discussion, and some tangential name-calling. The threads should be fairly easily located by searching the
RGP archives.