Dear Reluctant, I usually wait for those people who know their craft to answer these questions before I offer my two-cents. But it's been a few days so here it is.
I can't recommend a book. I'm sure there are good ones out there. The only books I have are pattern books. What I would recommend is two fold. 1: See what your library has for borrowing, either books or DVDs. I'm sure there are good DVD* on the market - and seeing may be better than reading for a crafts you are unfamiliar with. 2: Go back to the Quilting Home Page here at Bella. The "Beginner Basics" section as well as others will be very helpful.
*There used to be a program on HGTV called "Simply Quilts" that covered all the basics - How to do sashing, - how to sew a Y seam, - how to choice batting, - etc. I hope some of these were complied for sale or show and are available somewhere.
One final suggestion would be to find a quild in your area. You should be able to ask for beginner information either from the group or from one of the individuals.
Hope you get some bit of help from my comments. GrannyH