Hedgecoe - New Manual of Photography
John Hedgecoe – The New Manual of Photography

From the Amazon.com Editorial Review:

The most up-to-date, comprehensive, and practical guide to the art of good photography, this book teaches every skill a photographer needs to take great pictures, from the most basic to the most advanced. Authoritative and easy-to-understand, John Hedgecoe's New Manual of Photography features practical advice on every element of the photographic process, from how to choose the right equipment and specialist techniques to inspirational guidance on the art of creative composition.

This was a great first book for me. It provides a straight-forward explanation of pretty much every aspect of taking photos, and then dishes up pictures that illustrate his points and explanations. How does aperture size affect depth of field? What exactly is focal length of lens? What does spot metering mean?