" Which props do you consider essential and are there any other iyengar books which could be followed by a beginner but relies less heavily on props (I am young and quite flexible so don't always feel the need for them)?"

I am not quite sure about the use of props this particular book, but I thought that was the point of props in yoga in general, to use them when you need them. That is, when you can't to the full pose correctly the props are there as aids to help you progress into the pose. Perhaps the level of poses in the book is quite hard, and thus require a lot of gradual help getting into them. Maybe if you are quite flexible then you won't need to use all of them, but I would assume that most of the poses call for not only good flexibility, but also strenth and balance, which props are also used for. It could also be possible for you to find a book that is more accessible and easy to follow with more simplified poses, that require fewer props. I have a book called "How to Use Yoga", by Mira Mehta, which does have a fair few props but they're mostly things you can find around your house, except for the yoga mat! Really only you can tell though, just see how you go, you might find you don't need props, or some of the poses may be impossible to do without them, depending on the stage you're at.

Hope that helps :-)