Is it worthwhile to publish with a print-on-demand publisher?

Question

I have a completed manuscript for a reference book on African films.

Answer 1

Generally no unless you have a series of books in mind and want to start a buzz.
Or it is very type specific book like varieties of 1857 dimes.

Answer 2

I say no unless you have plenty of money and all the time in the world to figure out how the complex book business works, and you do all the legwork in getting your book into a meaningful market.

Aside from that, if you want your name in print on a book and you don't care about the sacrafices, then it is probably a good idea to use print-on-demand.