The WoW battle chest is the perfect way to start your WoW experience!
All you have to do is go to the reviews of World of Warcraft to see its immensely positive reaction, and my own raving review. As for the Battle Chest, I would definately recommend it to new players. It comes with the game, a month of play, Burning Crusade (expansion) and a guide for both the base game and BC.
Burning Crusade is good to have from the start, because you will go longer without hitting a level cap. It also offers two extra races, each with beautiful starting zones. Part of the value of the chest is that it comes with two guides. To be honest, I've found the guides have a lot of "no sh*t Sherlock" information, but they can still be a nice reference for beginners.
What else can I say? The Battle Chest will save you money when you inevitably want Burning Crusade, lets you play for a month before setting up a subscription, and gives you two guides that may help you, or will at least look nice on your shelf.