There are two sets of runes carved into the wands. The second is the word 'Yggdrasil', which is the name of the World Tree from Norse mythology. The idea is that the wand represents the Tree itself, with the energies of the runes flowing along it. I can't decide which of your two books I should buy. It's more of a practical learning aid and daily workbook, with brief descriptions, keywords, meditation images, and space for notes for each of the runes, plus exercises you can use to 'internalize' their meanings.
Runes are tools.
In the hands of a skilled or motivated person, they can work very well. It's up to you.