The field of photography is wide from fashion, to portraits, landscape etc. there is so many specialized techniques to learn and things that you can do.So, when choosing a guide this is what I want you to ask yourself:
Is what I am looking for a basic guide or or is it specialized?
A basic guide is going to specialize on just that; it's going to cover the basics and give you a taste of every little aspect of photography.
However a advanced guide is going to focus on one aspect. It may cover fashion photography, portraits, landscape etc. It may also assume that you know certain things about photography like f-stops/aperture, shutter speed, white balance etc.So don't expect a "basics guide" to teach you everything you will always need to know, but if you need that information, read, learn and apply it and then work on honing it.
After that, try to find a niche, if you want to learn about how to take better kids of your kids playing soccer then get a book on sports photography, if you want to take better product photos then learn about studio lighting and backdrop design as it pertains to you.
